As a professional communicator, you have the potential to influence economies and affect lives. This power carries with it significant responsibilities.
Because hundreds of thousands of business communicators worldwide engage in activities that affect the lives of millions of people, and because this power carries with it significant social responsibilities, IABC developed the Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators.
The Code is based on three different yet interrelated principles of professional communication that apply throughout the world. These principles assume that just societies are governed by a profound respect for human rights and the rule of law; that ethics, the criteria for determining what is right and wrong, can be agreed upon by members of an organization; and, that understanding matters of taste requires sensitivity to cultural norms.
These principles are essential:
- Professional communication is legal.
- Professional communication is ethical.
- Professional communication is in good taste.
Recognizing these principles, members of IABC will:
- Engage in communication that is not only legal but also ethical and sensitive to cultural values and beliefs.
- Engage in truthful, accurate and fair communication that facilitates respect and mutual understanding.
- Adhere to the principles outlined in the articles of the IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators.
Since conditions in the field of communications are always changing, members of IABC will work to improve their individual competence and to increase the body of knowledge through research and education.
