Activity 10.1

Fill out the “Public Speaking Ethics Checklist” while thinking about your first speech. Did you mark “true” for any of the statements? If so, why? What can you do as a speaker to get to the point where you can check them all as “false”?


Instructions: For each of the following ethical issues, check either “true” or “false.”

True

False

1.

I have knowingly added information within my speech that is false.

2.

I have attempted to persuade people by unnecessarily tapping into emotion rather than logic.

3.

I have not clearly cited all the information within my speech.

4.

I do not know who my sources of information are or what makes my sources credible.

5.

I wrote my speech based on my own interests and really haven’t thought much about my audience.

6.

I haven’t really thought much about my audience’s needs and desires.

7.

I have altered some of the facts in my speech to help me be more persuasive.

8.

Some of the language in my speech may be considered bigoted.

9.

My goal is to manipulate my audience to my point of view.

10.

I sometimes blend in my personal opinions when discussing actual facts during the speech.

11.

My personal opinions are just as good as facts, so I don’t bother to distinguish between the two during my speech.

12.

I’ve used information in my speech from a friend or colleague that probably shouldn’t be repeated.

13.

I’m using information in my speech that a source gave me even though it was technically “off the record.”

14.

It’s just a speech. I really don’t care what someone does with the information when I’m done speaking.

15.

I haven’t really thought about the short- or long-term consequences of my speech.

Scoring: For ethical purposes, all your answers should have been “false.”


Separate groups: All participants
(There are no discussion topics yet in this forum)