Considering the Ethics of Writing

8 ethical questions I ask to strengthen my writing and do good in the world

What are the ethical stakes of writing? A surgeon can make an error and accidentally kill a patient. A lawyer’s indifference can lead to extended jail time.

Is the harm of a poorly expressed idea simply ruffling a reader’s feathers? Or do a writer’s responsibilities extend further than that. What if one’s article causes unimagined harm?

I am not talking hypothetically here.

This happens all the time, and I imagine mostly unconsciously. I am speaking from personal contact with the LGBTQ community, but the same can be said in many different arenas.

Most professions have clearly defined sets of ethics, especially those involving people. You’ll find ethical standards in medicine, politics, law, education, journalism, finance, and more.

And yet, as writers, part of the magic of our work is that we’re independent. There are writers’ societies that offer help to hone one’s craft, but for the most part, a writer follows their own path.

And thankfully, there are few barriers to entry. People can write and publish these days — especially online — regardless of language, income level, or education. It is perhaps one of the most democratised professions or pursuits available.

And yet writing also has the ability to impact the way people think and feel about life.

In search of a personal ethic

Ethics is sometimes thought of as an external set of rules dictating behaviour or standards of practice. While this can be true, I take a more personal approach.

Everything I share in this article is based on my own reflections. I don’t suggest for a moment these principles are universal. I believe ethics is best when taken as a journey to arrive at one’s own map.

I have come up with eight questions I think about when writing and reviewing articles before publication. At times, these questions have forced me to make significant changes. At other times, I’ve chosen to abandon entire ideas or stories.

1. What’s my writing intention?

Having “good” intentions is a cornerstone of ethics. (But intentions alone are still not enough.)

People come to writing online for many different purposes — for the joy of it, for healing, to make sense of the world, to establish credibility, to earn money, or to make an impact.

There is no right or wrong intention. The key is to become aware of what one’s goals are and how they might influence writing decisions. For example, if one’s sole goal is to make money, that may lead to exploiting different topics or favouring controversial angles for gain.

One’s intention for writing can also change from article to article. At one time I might want to simply explore an idea to understand a topic. Another time I might want to make an impact by sharing a perspective.

I wrote about these different intentions and the unique strategies for each:

2. What am I qualified to write about?

Most professions require people to have recognised qualifications to provide services in that profession. Writing, not so.

Anyone can come on this platform and write about whatever they like. And indeed, they do.

I don’t need to be a psychologist to write about psychology or a nutritionist to write about nutrition. With some topics, sharing personal beliefs may not cause harm. In other cases, content can be mistaken as qualified advice.

A great way creative nonfiction deals with this is expressing ideas through the lens of one’s own lived experience. I am not an expert in psychology, but I’m an “expert” (so to speak) in my own life and lived experience.

3. Do I need to name my perspective?

Objectivity is a cornerstone of ethics in journalism, but not all writing is journalistic or requires objectivity. Indeed, subjectivity is key to forms like creative nonfiction and poetry.

There’s nothing wrong with articulating a particular perspective on a topic. But naming that perspective can be important.

For example, I have written about my experiences of working with people with autism. As someone who doesn’t have direct lived experience of autism, it’s important for me to acknowledge the limitations of my experience and perspectives.

This same principle can be applied to almost any topic. It becomes especially important when the topic carries a level of sensitivity to some readers.

4. What’s the best genre for my idea?

Most often I write creative nonfiction. Sometimes I come across ideas, however, I feel can only be delivered in poetry.

Poetry allows me more freedom around topics that might be contentious or where I have a deeply personal view that would be limiting if I passed it off in an essay.

At other times, using satire can be a great way to diffuse tension and hold a mirror up to society.

5. How can I express this more clearly?

Some professions have an ethical code around efficiency. Medicine and public health, for example, respects finding the most efficacious and efficient solution to a health problem.

As a writer, I have been working on become more succinct in expressing myself. Longer articles carry higher expectations on readers to work hard to digest my content. In some cases, this may turn some readers away before attempting the article.

There’s a balance with this though. Some subjects require sufficient room to explore an idea or argument fully.

Another consideration is choice of language. Loading my content with academic language can make it inaccessible to some audiences. If the intention is to have wide reach or for people without an academic background to access your ideas, considering the types of words becomes important.

6. How can I reduce harm in my writing?

I write occasionally on LGBTQIA+ topics. Our community is diverse with many different and evolving perspectives. As a white gay male, I am conscious of the limitations in my perspectives. In writing about gender, for example, I seek appropriate editors to help hone my work.

Another way of avoiding harm is to protect the privacy of my subjects. A lot of my writing is based on real-life experiences and the lessons I’ve gained from them.

I almost always change the names of people in my stories, using pseudonyms to protect them. Sometimes I seek permission from people to share their story.

7. Have I done what I said I would do?

Ensuring my title captures the content of the article is more than just a great content practice, it’s ethically vital.

The opposite of this is clickbait — where writers promise one thing to get people to click through, only to find a passing reference in the story.

A key question I ask before publishing is, Have I delivered what I promised in this article? If this is in any way vague, I go back to the beginning and hone the title or introduction for greater accuracy and integrity.

8. Who do I need to acknowledge here?

Community is one of the joyous benefits of writing on this platform. I sometimes get prompts or ideas from readers in comments and feel it is important to acknowledge their inspiration.

When I borrow the unique expression of an idea from another writer, it is respectful to acknowledge the source accurately. This can happen through naming sources and/or linking through to other articles.

There have also been times where I have challenged ideas expressed by other writers. Ethics doesn’t mean avoiding speaking one’s truth where it is important. In these cases, I don’t single out the people I am challenging, but rather, protect their identity.

Continuously honing my craft

Most professions require people to participate in continuing education to maintain and extend their skills, from doctors and lawyers to teachers and psychologists.

Continually honing my craft as a writer is important. A good way to go about this is to read articles on writing or write about one’s own experiences as a writer. Occasionally I will write about my writing process as a reflective exercise, in much the same way that I’m writing this.

My hope is that these ideas were taken in the spirit of personal self-reflection. Ethics can be a sticky topic with divergent views. I’d love to hear your thoughts and reflections.