Whether or not you believe “the pen is mightier than the sword,” the fact is that words do have power. When you write, you are not only using words to convey a message; you are also implicitly saying, “I can be trusted.” But, that trust can quickly be diminished if your readers discover you are using the power of words to manipulate them. This can happen even if your distortions are unintentional. Follow these tips to maintain trust and ethics in your writing:
- Avoid plagiarism! When in doubt, list your source. When really in doubt, get permission to reprint.
- Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Use words like “may” instead of “will” to avoid over promising.
- Check your facts. You may think you remember something accurately, but if there’s any doubt, you want to be sure.
- Gather statistics using sound methods or from reliable sources. Research can be painstaking, but don’t use it as an excuse to get sloppy.
- Be careful not to cross the line between dressing up the facts for promotional purposes and misleading. Your widget may be “extraordinary,” but can it really do the dishes AND take out the trash?
What ethical concerns do you deal with in your writing?
About the Author: Karen Marcus, M.A. is a Northern Colorado copywriter who has been helping clients in a wide range of industries to put their best word forward for 13 years. Click here for contact info.
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