John Duffy the writer of “Writing Involves Making Ethical Choices” describes how an ethical choice is based on a forming relationship between author and reader. These ethical choices will happen when an author writes for an audience. When Duffy uses the word “ethical” he doesn’t mean judging as ethical or unethical in morals. Duffy views it as “a writer attempting to communicate an idea or persuade an audience” (Duffy). Think of the ethical choices as “What will I say and to whom? Will my priorities align with my words? Will this evoke thoughts?” The relationship between a writer and reader will “expand and complicate our understandings of what it means to write” (Duffy).
As a writer the ethical responsibilities we have are creating that relationship between writer and reader. Thinking about a target audience is important because a writer wants to reach out to them. Knowing how to capture that certain audience will take questioning and effort. Another ethical responsibility is how a writer communicates and persuades an audience. Thinking about topics to get across, wording to keep a reader engaged, and aiding audiences’ interests is key. When a writer creates their piece they need to be honest. Using facts and truth can help persuade the reader. Those facts need to be accurate. Adding a little bit of opinion into a fact will make it less credible. Additionally adding sources will back up any ideas. A credible source is a reliable source. The writer’s piece also needs to be fair. Using slander and other hash commits will turn readers away. “Relationship between writer and readers, one that necessarily involves human values and virtues” (Duffy).
On the other hand, readers also have ethical responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is evaluating and responding to the writer. Developing thoughts and understanding is a part of the writer and reader relationship. The writer writes a point for the reader to take in and learn from. If a sentence or paragraph is provoking a thought then the connection from author to reader is being created. Being that other half to the writer is important because it gives the writer and their writing a purpose. They put their ideas out there to be completed by a reader. Thus for creating the relationship between writer and reader. “We propose a relationship with other human beings, our readers. And in proposing such relationship we inevitably address, either explicitly and deliberately, or implicitly and unintentionally, the questions that moral philosophers regard as ethical” (Duffy).
