CHAPTER FIVE

COMMUNICATION ETHICS

Think Like a Professional: Don't be Idealistic When Sorting Out Right From Wrong

Mark McElreath

The ideal virtuous professional communicator is not a naïve, idealistic fool. Streetwise and savvy about the ways of the world, she or he knows how to make ethical decisions and how to help others make ethical decisions anywhere in the world—even in the most corrupt societies.

Transparency International (2010) has classified the countries of the world into four quadrants, from the most corrupt to the least corrupt, using what the nonprofit agency calls the “Bribe Payers Index.” The index is based on annual interviews with 11,000 business executives from around the world who are asked the likelihood of a corporation ...

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