Communication Ethics, and a Command Decision

Captain Crozier, Commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, wrote and distributed a controversial letter in March of 2020 that pleaded for help for crew members stricken by the COVID-19 virus. The communication was sent to several recipients and eventually found its way to the news media. The situation became front-page news and was actively debated in the media. Senior leaders believed that Captain Crozier may have avoided his chain of command for fear that his immediate leader would suppress the issue and expose the sailors to unnecessary danger. His decisions and actions that lead up to his writing of the letter are fraught with ethical dilemmas.

In this assignment, you are asked to identify the communication strategy used and analyze ethical aspects surrounding Captain Crozier’s decision to widely disseminate the letter.