Reputation as relational accountability: toward a normative ethics of digital communication

This article reconceptualizes reputation as a moral infrastructure of digital communication rather than merely a legal asset or individual attribute. It argues that reputational harm should be understood as a disruption of relational accountability within communicative communities, generating ethical obligations of response, repair, and restoration. Drawing on early modern traditions of relational justice, particularly the framework developed by Ludovicus Babenstuber, the study reconstructs a normative model of communicative responsibility grounded in principles of restitution and social trust. It demonstrates how this relational logic continues to inform contemporary understandings of personal rights, professional accountability, and reputation management in digitally mediated environments. Through engagement with phenomena such as online harassment, misinformation, and cancel culture, the article shows that digital communication amplifies longstanding ethical tensions surrounding reputation rather than creating entirely new moral conditions. Integrating insights from moral philosophy, legal theory, and communication ethics, the study advances a relational model of reputational accountability centered on restorative practices and trust reconstruction. By reframing reputation as a shared moral resource rather than a purely strategic or individual concern, the article offers a normative framework for addressing reputational conflict in digital communication.