Ghostwriting and the Ethics of Authenticity

Book excerpt: ​This book presents an ethical framework which evaluates the legitimacy of the practice of ghostwriting. It explores the connection between personal authenticity and the use of ghostwriters in corporate, political, legal, higher education, and scientific contexts. It then examines the history of ghostwriting as a professional practice and introduces a model for ethical analysis. In this book, the authors shrewdly address crucial ethical questions such as: When is it acceptable for a leader to claim the words of a ghostwriter as their own? When may this be inappropriate or even dangerously misleading? What are the consequences when public awareness of this practice leads to cynicism about the authenticity of leaders and their communications? And when, if ever, is the use of a ghostwriter ethical? This book will be welcomed by scholars and practitioners alike as an original and timely contribution to the literature of business, politics, and communications.