National Communication Association Reaffirms the Importance of Preserving Free and Responsible Communication
The National Communication Association (NCA), representing thousands of Communication scholars and teachers, recognizes and advocates for the essential place of free and responsible communication in a democratic society. With evidence that the new administration is taking steps to stifle government agency communication with the public, employing an “alternative facts” argument when confronted with its own questionable assertions, and using demeaning language to characterize members of the press whose lives, livelihoods, and good work are dependent on the nation’s principles of free speech, NCA reaffirms its commitment to its three ethical credos and calls on all citizens to help make sense of the pressing issues of the day through open debate, dialogue, and discussion.
NCA’s related principles are clearly articulated in its three ethical credos.
- The Credo for Free and Responsible Communication in a Democratic Society “criticize[s] as misguided those who believe that the justice of their cause confers license to interfere physically and coercively with speech of others, and we condemn intimidation, whether by powerful majorities or strident minorities, which attempts to restrict free expression.” To view the full Credo, see http://www.natcom.org/democraticsociety.
- Among the principles enumerated in the NCA Credo for Ethical Communication is the endorsement of “truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as essential to the integrity of communication.” To view the full Credo, see http://www.natcom.org/ncacredo.
- The Credo for Free and Responsible Use of Electronic Communication Networks supports “freedom of expression and condemn[s] attempts to constrain information processing or electronic communication, especially expressions that are offensive to some or even most of the populace.” To view the full Credo, see http://www.natcom.org/electronicnetworks.
As an organization committed to the teaching, research, and other professional activities that fuel best communication practices regardless of political ideology, NCA continues to do what it has always done regarding First Amendment freedoms: support a transparent and open exchange of ideas that allows citizens to engage in the fair and ethical debate that makes democracy possible.
The National Communication Association (NCA) advances Communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. NCA serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching. Dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems. NCA supports inclusiveness and diversity among our faculties, within our membership, in the workplace, and in the classroom; NCA supports and promotes policies that fairly encourage this diversity and inclusion.
For more information, visit natcom.org, follow us on Twitter at @natcomm, and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalCommunicationAssociation.