Communication Ethics: Making Ethical Choices; Media Skills: Blogging [LO-3] , Chapter 7 Th e time and energy required for careful revision can oft en benefi t you or your company directly, such as by increasing the probability that website visitors will buy your products. But what about situations in which the quality of your writing and revision work really doesn’t stand to benefi t you directly? For instance, assume that you are putting a notice on your website, informing the local community about some upcoming construction to your manufacturing plant. Th e work will disrupt traffi c for nearly a year and generate a signifi cant amount of noise and air pollution, but knowing the specifi c dates and times of various construction activities will allow people to adjust their commutes and other activities to minimize the negative impact on their daily lives. However, your company does not sell products in the local area, so the people aff ected by all this are not potential customers.

Moreover, providing accurate information to the surrounding community and updating it as the project progresses will take time away from your other job responsibilities. Do you have an ethical obligation to keep the local community informed with accurate, up-to-date information? Why or why not?