MESSAGE â€“ ROOT OF COMMUNICATION I:VERBAL MESSAGE, Static Evaluation

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Introduction to Mass Communication MCM 101

LESSON 07

MESSAGE ROOT OF COMMUNICATION I

Message in communication holds the key in determining what a piece of communication is all

about. A slight change at the end from where a message is originating may lead to a yawning difference in

understanding it at the end of receiver.

Human message is entirely different from a mechanical message which makes it a very tricky, some time

complex but embarrassing proposition. If you blow a horn of a motorcar it would sound the same if you try

it a hundred times. The telephone bell will ring in the same fashion sound and the level of volume, where

you have adjusted it. Listen to a recorded music and you would hear the same no matter how many time

you bother the machine to play it.

But human communication is very different. You can't repeat a message exactly the ways you have done

before for a range of variables occur in composing the message. As said a while ago, a slight change in

message in any manner may lead to change its meanings at the receiving end. When we examine this

property of message in the field of mass communication, the outcome suggest that the sender of a message

need to draw extraordinary measures to avoid any misunderstanding on part of receivers who may be in

millions in some given case. That is why lines (script) in mass communication is not changed frequently and

highly trained people are employed to dispatch message in a quest to achieve the goal of communicating the

same meanings to a possible extent.

Here we will study nature and characteristics of message and the measures to be taken to avoid problems in

communication especially when a message is meant for cross cultures, religions, continents, nationalities and

casts etc.

Division

Messages are generally divided into two categories:

· Verbal

· Non verbal

VERBAL MESSAGE

A message composed in words spoken or written fall in this category. All we read in

newspapers, magazines and books as well as listen to fellow beings face to face or radio, TV, telephone etc

are clear examples of verbal messages.

Linguistic Barrier

All people even when they belong to one clan do not posses same linguistic skills. Nor a person

ever knows that whatever he or she is saying by composing in idioms and words is to be understood as

such by others. Think of a situation when people are talking to each other that belong to different areas

where even the same words stand for different meanings. And if the sender and receiver of a message

belong to areas where two different languages are spoken, the meanings of message are deciphered

substantially and chances of misunderstanding, and misgiving, are high.

Standard Meaning's Problem

Some time a language may not prove up to the mark even two very close people are exchanging

views. For instance two people understand what is meant by the word `hot'. Even then if one person

reports to other that it is hot outside, the receiver may not quantify how hot it is unless physics (science) is

applied and the sender says it is 40 degree Celsius outside. In normal language in which communication is

done such physics references are a remote possibility. Hence there is always difference in understanding the

exact meaning of a message.

Written Message Confusion

The written words offer more of this situation. It is difficult to articulate your thinking and feeling

Introduction to Mass Communication MCM 101

about an experience in to words. It is even more difficult for the reader receiver to decode or

understand who has no experience of those feelings. For instance a person has never visited Swat valley. It

is so difficult to make him or her feel the way writer has felt the experience of visiting the all awesome valley

even if he has chosen best words and articulation to describe the feelings.

You never know whether a person has exaggerated while giving an account of some event as words are not

like mathematics to give same result after same exercise. This makes the task of historians extremely

difficult who have to write for people centuries after when a sea of cultural changes would have taken place

only to alter the meanings of the same words used by the authors of the history book. It is here that we can

recall the Shcramm-Osgood communication model which emphasizes on the common experience of the

things talked about by the sender in a message.

Static Evaluation

Words themselves do not carry the same meanings through time and space. A word which gave a

specific meaning a hundred years ago may not give the same meanings today for scores of reasons.

Similarly meanings of same words are changed at some distance. A verbal message which once stood for

certain meanings, may not always stand for the same meanings because static meaning evaluation does not

hold in any language.

NON VERBAL MESSAGE

Many messages we come across in our daily life are non verbal not in words by in gestures,

symbols, signs etc. Here we will see how this part of communication takes place.

Gestures

We usually adopt some patent gestures to communicate certain feelings. A victory sign is a clear

example of sending a message of a win. A baby brings certain gestures on his/her face to communicate

mother and others about the pain or pleasure it is feeling. Wink of an eye may send a message across for

multiple meanings.

Signs and Symbols

At times the non verbal communication message, prove more to be understood beyond the

bounds of culture and creed. A red-cross sign has assumed a global understanding for medical care. Blaring

of siren by an ambulance sends the same meaning to all. Traffic signals are globally understood the same

way.

Cultural Conflict

Some cultures however differ in communicating the same meanings of common symbols. For

instance present a while rose in Japan may stand for meanings different if the same is done in the

subcontinent. Seeing into the eyes may stand as a sign of truthfulness of a child, it may be deemed as an

offense.

Body Gestures (Language)

As we send down a message even in words, we tend to attach some non verbal action to give more

meaning to the message. If we have to say sit down please, we also extend our hand as to support the verbal

communication.

Voice Accentuation

Not only at most inter-personal and group communications but also at the level of mass

communication the common most thing in a message is the voice accentuation. Speakers at a mass rally or

even on radio and television tend to change their voice level and stress words to give some particular

meaning to their utterances. You also do it when you talk to a baby and discipline your voice level with

the same set of words when talking to an older person like father or teacher for instance.

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