Ethics in communication

Taking into account that there are some media that not communicate like ours, we can say that a radio programmer or producer who works for a capitalist commercial radio station receives money from record companies for the records are broadcast on the radio; a journalist intentionally conceals information to protect their friends and avoid his or her sources of information getting exhausted. A freelance writer invents events to support some points of view. A prejudiced interviewer faces his or her interviewer and attacks his or her position.

Other examples are those kinds of station where only obtaining money, no matter quality of the product could be mentioned. Undoubtedly, this is a violation of professional ethics and all above the media.

Communicators should work according to their ethical principles, values and responsibility to themselves and the others; hence they must make decisions about private or public matters taking into account standards of ethical principles.

In the case of the Cuban radio, there are some radio workers that damage the prestige of the media by using abstract descriptions, without giving the data required or solid arguments on what is being said at a public act or another kind of media, and naming those people for them to take full responsibility is also a professional ethic.

And nowadays, we are called on to carry out deeper professional work; we should focus on the work and those who play the main role.

When referring to ethics at the media, we must take into account that people are part of them. Therefore, the ethics depends on behavior of people who work there and especially those representatives of the media.

The communicators from all media should fulfill some ethical codes. The most important is related to “the truth and the accuracy of the facts”. This is an emblem taught by the Cuban revolution and its top leader Fidel Castro in his way of acting, even in difficult times. Truth should be also observed with detachment. For instance, in sports, the communicators or sports broadcaster can not be partial with the region he represents. Honesty is a paradigm in our communication.

A translation by:  Silke Paez Car