Knowing Your Audience, Bcom275 Essay Example

In the communication process it is essential for the sender to know their audience and the expectations as to the message being delivered. As an example for knowing your audience we will use the Chilean copper mine collapse of 2010. San José mine, a small copper operation in northern Chile owned by Minera San Esteban Primera, suffered a cave-in on August 5, leaving 33 workers trapped underground (Weik, 2010). Not only does the company need to take immediate and decisive action to rescue the miners but it is crucial they begin the communication process as soon as possible. In this paper we are going to look at the considerations to remember regarding the audience, the potential needs of the families and employees and finally actions taken to ensure the message was received as intended. Minera San Esteban Primera suffered a potentially catastrophic incident of the possible death of thirty-three workers and must release a statement. The first thing they must consider is their audience. Any number of factors can affect how your listeners will react. These can include their experience, education, job or professional background, age, gender, ethnic background, cultural differences, and more (The Total Communicator, 2004). When formulating their statement the company must avoid use of jargon or complicated words that would cause confusion. The volatile nature of the situation could insight outrage or violence against the company and so it is important that they establish trust at the very beginning of the communication process. The company should establish a common ground to show that they understand the needs of their audience to be perceived as forthcoming with a vested interest with all of the trapped miners. The rescue effort began as soon as the cave-in happened. The next step is to inform the family members as soon as possible, but before this happens the company should consider their potential needs. At the initial onset of the cave-in there is