The ethics of speechwriting in the contemporary practice of the profession

Abstract

The present paper challenges the criticism found in literature on speechwriting that “deception is inherent in the practice of ghostwriting” and therefore, writing speeches for other people is “unethical” by juxtaposing it with findings from the author's research on Speechwriting in British and American Politics and Business: A Study of the Practice, Profession, and Speechwriting Ethics, funded by the National Science Center. For the purpose of this paper, I use the terms speechwriting and ghostwriting interchangeably. Specifically, I discuss two ethical aspects involved in speechwriting: audience deception and writing against a speechwriter’s conviction. Critics have also argued that ghostwritten speeches fail to genuinely reflect the speaker's “honest, independent ability and achievement.” My research indicates, however, that although deception is always a possibility in communication, speechwriters are dedicated to ensuring the speaker’s authenticity, and the concept of ethopoeia is pivotal to comprehending the role of a speechwriter.