THE
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
In this article, we put the spotlight
on the normal way communication is said to take place and compare it with
another that we suggest.
Figure CM is the standard
communication model. Let us briefly
explain it.
Sender or
transmitter. The source or originator of data, facts, figures, the idea or other
matter that is to be passed to another point.
Encoding. The moulding of the
material to be moved into a form (picture, language, sign, for instance) that
best suits the situation.
Message. The matter or material with
a meaning that is to be transmitted.
Channel. It is the medium to be
used by the sender to pass the message to another point.
Receiver or
audience.
This is the party the other point that the sender wants to take the message.
Decoding. To decode is to interpret
the message so that its meaning is understood.
Closed Circle
and Open Circle Communication Models
Figure CM is closed circle, standard communication model. The receiver encodes
the message and sends feedback to the sender.
Figure CM1 is the open circle communication model. This
second diagram shows the two possible
directions of communication as follows:
- the receiver gets the message and sends feedback to the sender to restart the cycle, and/or
- sends the same message to another recipient; which also restarts the cycle.
Not only is figure CM1 an ‘open
circle’, but is also explicit about the decisions the recipient has to make
decisions concerning type of encoding, channel, and appropriate audience (CM
assumes these procedures. They are quite natural after all, to state it fairly).
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| Figure CM: The 'closed circle' communications model. |
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| Figure CM 1: The 'open circle' communications model. |
Perhaps the biggest achievement of what I call the open circle communication
process is simply getting us to appreciate that we do not have to set a limit
on our directions of thought, not whether the above proposal is right or wrong.
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