The Independent Communicators Alliance (ICA) recognizes that ethical communication is fundamental to responsible decision-making and to building a strong and credible organization. Ethical communication enhances human worth and dignity by fostering truthfulness, fairness, responsibility, personal integrity, accountability, and respect for self and others, while unethical communication threatens the well-being of the organization and its members.

We therefore endorse and are committed to practicing the following principles of ethical communication:

Our responsibility to ethical communication

• We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as essential to the integrity of communication.
• We commit to exhibiting qualities conducive to productive communication and to conducting ourselves according to our principles – representing ourselves, our profession, knowledge, and abilities honestly and in a way that inspires trust and confidence.
• We do not use our skills as communicators to enable communication that we know to be false, unethical or harmful.

Our responsibility to fellow ICA members

• When interacting with the ICA, we place the mission of the organization above personal gain, avoid conflicts of interest, and willingly disclose situations which that may be perceived as such.
• We recognize the education, experience, and value of our colleagues; respect their integrity; and communicate with and about members with compassion, fairness, truthfulness, and optimism.
• We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of dissent to achieve the informed and responsible decision-making that is fundamental to a healthy organization.
• We seek first to understand other members’ opinions and views before evaluating and responding to them.
• We promote open access by members to all board and committee meetings of the organization.
• We do not tolerate communication that degrades others through the expression of intimidation, hatred, coercion, or distortion. This includes oral, written and nonverbal communication.
• We commit as members to sharing information, opinions and feelings when facing significant choices and to ensuring that less vocal members are invited to contribute to dialogues.
• We also commit to being informed about decisions made by the organization and its governing body.
• When we find ourselves in disagreement with others, we seek first to resolve that issue directly with the person three times before discussing the matter with a third party. If the matter cannot be resolved between the two parties, the parties agree to seek resolution through a third party—either a neutral member of the organization or a conflict resolution specialist.
• We accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences for our own communication and expect the same of others.

Our responsibility to conduct business legally and ethically:

• We conduct business according to all applicable laws, including business licensing, taxation, and employment laws.
• We do not plagiarize or otherwise use content for which we do not have full legal rights. We do not claim sole credit for work that was derivative or collaborative.
• We do not use software or other materials in conducting business that has been illegally copied or is otherwise not legally ours to use for business purposes.
• We do not misrepresent ourselves, our abilities or our availability.

Written and compiled by Dena White from various sources, including the National Communication Association for Ethical Communication – April 2004. Amended February 2009 by Claire Doyle Ragin and Nancy Oates.