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, the International Association of Business Communicators 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.

Learn more about IABC's Code of Ethics.

For real-life examples of ethical business communications in action, take a look at this series of articles that appeared in IABC Toronto's Communicator newsletter.

"If ethics were easy, everyone would be a saint. The real test of character is whether you do the right thing even when it costs more than you want to pay." -- Michael Josephson