Module 1 — Effective
writing: Strategies
and principles
| Course Guide | Module 1 | Module 2a | Module 2b |
'Noise' in communication
The model also shows that communication is so imperfect that we hardly ever manage to get the thoughts in our mind across to our audience perfectly.
Consider the possibilities for error:
- the communicator (writer) turns his or her ideas into words to create a message;
- the message goes through some kind of imperfect channel;
- the audience (reader) turns the words back into ideas (interprets the message);
- the reader responds by providing (or not providing) the writer's desired response;
- throughout the process, the environment is exerting an influence.
Interference, distortion, or distraction causes loss of meaning. We refer to this type of barrier as noise. Noise sets up barriers to getting your message across, no matter how well you write. Recognizing its existence helps you minimize its effects.
Types of noise
- Emotional (hostility, indifference on the part of the reader, other pressures on the reader, etc.)
Example: Your boss acted on your last recommendation and as a result was criticized by his boss.
- Semantic blocks (connotations of words, discriminatory language, etc.)
Example: Your reader is extremely sensitive to gender bias in writing, and you have used “he” throughout the document to refer to people in general.
- Physical barriers (What your eyes see on the page or the screen)
Examples: print is too small, fax is of poor quality.
- Timing barriers
Examples: too late, too early, wrong time.
- Selectivity (Could be caused by overload or the specific focus of the reader)
Example: Your reader reads only the first and last paragraphs of documents because of lack of time.
- Perceptual (seeing what you expect to see, the reader's own experience etc.)
Example: When you look at this:
Which do you see?
