Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics

Communication is understood as the process of meaning-making through a channel or

a medium. It comes from the Latin communicares, meaning to share or to make ideas common.
The connection that encompasses interaction among partaker is at the center of your learning
of communication.
The Components of the Communication Process
Understanding the communication process may help you become a better
communicator.
1. Source
The sender carefully crafts the message. The sender may be anyone: an author
of a book, a public speaker in a special occasion or even a traffic enforcer.
2. Message
The message is the reason behind any interaction. It is the meaning shared
between the sender and the receiver. Messages take many forms. They could mean
poems, songs, essays, news articles, road signs and even symbols.
3. Channel
The channel is the means by which a message is conveyed. When we answer a
phone call, the phone is he channel. On the other hand, when your parents receive a
notification of your absences from school, the channel is a letter. It is the responsibility
of both the sender and the receiver to choose the best channel for the interaction.
4. Receiver
The receiver is the person who receives the transmitted message. The receiver
may be a part of an audience in a public speaking event, a reader of a letter or a driver
who reads road signs. The receiver is expected to listen or read carefully, to be aware
of different kinds of sender to jot down information when needed, to provide response
and to ask question for clarification.
5. Feedback
In any communication scenario, a feedback is essential to confirm recipient
understanding. Feedbacks, like messages, are expressed in varied forms. A simple nod
for question of verification is considered a feedback. Thus, feedbacks may be written,
spoken or acted out.
6. Environment
The place, the feeling, the mood, the mindset and the condition of both sender
and receiver are called the environment. He environment may involve the physical set-
up of a location where communication takes place, the space occupied by both the
sender and the receiver, including the objects surrounding the sender and receiver.
 7. Context
Context involves the expectations of the sender and the receiver and the
common or shared understanding through the environmental signals.
8. Interference
Interference is also known a barrier or block that prevents effective
communication to take place.
Kinds of Interference
a. Psychological barriers are through that hamper the message to be interpreted correctly
by the receiver.
b. Physical barriers include competing stimulus, weather ad climate, health and ignorance
of the medium.
c. Linguistic and cultural barriers pertain to the language and its cultural environment.
Words may mean another in different cultures.
d. Mechanical barriers are those raised by the channels employed for interpersonal, group
or mass communication. These include cellphones, laptops and other gadgets used in
communication.
The Nine Principles of Effective Communication
Micheal Osborn (2009) claims that communication must meet certain standards for
effective communication to take place.
1. Clarity
Clarify makes speeches understandable, Fuzzy language is absolutely
forbidden, as are jargons, cliché expression, euphemisms and doublespeak language.
2. Concreteness
Concreteness reduces misunderstanding. Messages must be supported by facts
such as research data, statistics or figures. To achieve concreteness, abstract words must
be avoided.
3. Courtesy
Courtesy builds goodwill. It involves being polite in terms of approach and
manner of addressing an individual.
4. Correctness
Glaring mistakes in grammar obscures the meaning of a sentence. Also, the
misuse of language can damage your credibility.
5. Consideration
Messages must be geared towards the audience. The sender of a message must
consider the recipients profession, level of education, race, ethnicity, hobbies, interests,
passions, advocacies and age when drafting or delivering a message.
6. Creativity
Creativity in communication means having the ability of craft interesting
messages in terms of sentence structure and word choice.
 7. Conciseness
Simplicity and directness help you to be concise. Avoid using lengthy
expressions and words that may confuse the recipient.
8. Cultural Sensitivity
Today, with the increasing emphasis on empowering diverse cultures, lifestyles,
and races the pursuit for gender equality, cultural sensitivity becomes an important
standard for effective communication.
9. Captivating
You must strive to make messages interesting to command more attention and
better responses.

Ethical Considerations in Communication

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that focuses on issues of right and wrong in human
affairs.
Ethics Communicators:
1. Respect audience
2. Consider the result of communication
3. Value truth
4. Use information correctly
5. Do not falsify information.