Building Polite Communication as a Form of Ethical Truthfulness in Media Information

Abstract

The advancement of information and communication technology has generated significant changes, including shifts in communication patterns and lifestyles compared to previous eras. Contemporary human communication is shaped by informational needs and the availability of communication media. Communication scholars acknowledge the existence of four major communication eras, as identified by Bungin (2011): (1) the writing era, (2) the print media era, (3) the electronic media era, and (4) the computer media era. This study aims to examine and analyze the role of polite communication as an ethical foundation for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of information disseminated through communication media. The research employs a qualitative approach using a literature review method to explore how polite communication can be cultivated as a form of ethical adherence to truthfulness in media practices. Data were collected through library research, during which the researcher reviewed, read, and documented various cases of ethical violations concerning information accuracy in the media. The collected data were subsequently processed objectively, systematically, and analytically. The findings indicate that cultivating polite communication, as articulated in Lakoff’s Politeness Theory, requires communicators to refrain from imposing their will, to grant freedom to interlocutors, and to maintain a courteous disposition. At the level of media ethics, users are expected to be selective, knowledgeable, vigilant, respectful, and capable of fostering a civilized social order. Forms of ethical violations include the use of impolite or inappropriate language, the dissemination of hoaxes, and acts of defamation.