In the article “Writing Involves Making Ethical Choices” by John Duffy, it explains that writers need to have a more open mind and consider others while writing papers. Using ethical thinking will help us write better, connecting us to the readers with are feelings. Having the relationship with them will help make the paper more relatable, happy, and even being a little angry on the topic. But they would understand is way better.
What are three ethical responsibilities we have as writers?
- Honest
- Accurate
- Respectful
What are three ethical responsibilities we have as readers?
- Respectful
- Support
- Open-minded
I chose these responsibilities because I think they are very important. When writing a paper, not being honest, accurate, or respectful can lead to someone not trusting your paper. As a writer, it is important to strive for high levels of integrity and credibility. The more accurate and respectful the paper, the more likely it is to be helpful to an audience. Duffy’s article states that “Conversely, an informational or persuasive text that is unclear, inaccurate, or deliberately deceptive suggests a different attitude toward readers: one that is at best careless at worst contemptuous.” People would lose hope in your paper, they wouldn’t care as much. Part of an author’s job is to provide their audience with reliable, interesting, helpful material. By neglecting accuracy and respect, then the author is neglecting their job as well.
Writers are not the only ones with responsibilities. Readers have them as well. In fact, the best way to learn as a reader is to be respectful, supportive, and open-minded. Giving the author and their article respect is beneficial because it is recognizing the writer for the hard work that was put into the piece. Being supportive as a reader is also important because it encourages the writer to continue their work and strive to get better. Finally, being open-minded while reading is significant because it gives the reader a new perspective, which can change the way they look at the world around them. If a person were to go into a controversial article with their viewpoint already decided, then they have simply wasted their own time because they didn’t let the article have any sort of impact on them. This is being a stubborn reader, as it does not respect the article’s information. On the contrary, having an open mind allows individuals to gain a new point of view.
It is important to be ethical in reading and writing sense it’s the best way of learning. As a writer, using faulty information or rude writing choices can slow down the audience’s learning experience and cause contempt or annoyance. As a reader, not being nice or refusing to recognize other people’s opinions will only slow you down in the learning process.
I used this gif to explain that we as readers need to be the person opening the door for the acceptance the writers. When you read their book, news, and letter, let them be your guest. Guest meaning you are open-minded, friendly, and kind to them. When you read their text, you listen to what they have to say and agree or disagree in a kind way.
