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PROPOSITION 8

THE COMMUNICATOR’S IMAGE OF THE AUDIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF

THE CONTEXT ARE PRIMARY FACTORS IN SHAPING THE IMAGE OF THE

AUDIENCE.

The reality of the audience

Physical comprehension of your audience i.e. what comes into your sight the first time you

approach your audience and how it is sent to your mind. This is what you see right away about

your audience.

The image of the audience

This is how best you understand your audience basing on their attitude and interest on viewing

out concepts. It can also be stated as the true nature of the audience.

According to “The Peace Child”, chapter 7, Through the Iron Wood Curtain, on page 93, Don

Richardson doesn’t know the underlying attitudes of the majority of people in that society. He

doesn’t know the image of people in that community but he knows who really this people are, if

we may say.

According to “Creating Understanding”, smith

GROUP SIX GROUP ASSIGNMENTS.

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The image of audience will determine how you will prepare and shape the message but not the

reality.

Communicators image of the approximate the reality of the audience and it is the major factor in

material selection and preparation for presentations.

At cultural level

When cultures are sharply different, the images will not be very close to the reality of the

audience. At this point message delivery and comprehension will be inappropriate. Therefore one

has to carefully study the audience and i.e. by committing yourself to the audience and cross any

cultural barriers to become involved with them despite emotional cost. This can be done by:

learning home language and cultural self-identification.

Learning their socioeconomic positions.

Knowing there aspiration and felt needs.

Get what they highly value.

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Recognizing the image of your audience

For one to recognize the audience image, the following should be considered:

-Involve conversations with your audience, listening and careful questioning.

-Correctly identify their dominant interests and concerns (felt needs).

By doing the stated few you’ll get to know:

- Their spiritual interests.

-Whether they are to be helped or they help in looking for God’s kingdom.

-If educated and informed or not.

-Whether they are hostile or friendly.

-If they are interested with your topic of discussion.

Felt needs of the audience are what the audience feel are needs but not what others think they are

the needs to the audience.

NB: Wrong idea about the audience’s felt needs, will certainly lead to communication failure.

GROUP SIX GROUP ASSIGNMENTS.

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Communicating to resolve tension.

A communicator should regard the intended audience with compassion and readiness to put our

own attitudes towards the audience.

When a communicator gains compassion he or she longs to know how people are. This is simply

achieved by laying aside our personal and cultural self-confidence to be open to learn about the

truth other people’s lives.

To identify how your audience image differs with your audience reality:

-Have a formal study of the audience.

-Make careful observations during message delivery.

-Make involvements with the audience’s life.

GROUP SIX GROUP ASSIGNMENTS.