EVALUATING
MESSAGES
Purposive Communication
Communication Situation
Who is Sending the Message?
Whenever you receive a message you should think about who sent it. A message from your
teacher and a message from your best friend could be very different. Some messages come
from many senders.
ANALYZING A SENDER . Think of a message that you are currently studying. It might be
an important letter, an article, a famous speech, a short story or even a work of art. Analyze
the sender of the message by answering these questions:
1. Who is the sender?
2. What is the sender trying to do with this message?
3. What is the sender’s role in creating this message?
4. What is the sender’s relationship to you?
5. How trustworthy is this sender?
What is the Message?
Analyze the subject and purpose of any message you receive and understand not
just what the message is about but why the message was created?
sender
message
Context
medium
receiver
◦ What is the context of this message?
Every message fits in somewhere. Something came before it , and
something will come after it. In fact, messages are meant to change the
world. Think for example Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a
Dream” speech.
1. When and where was this message originally received?
2. What happened just before this message was received?
3. What happened after this message was received?
4. How did this message affect the world then and now?
◦ What medium should be used?
What do people mean when they talk about the medium of a message?
Think about a medium that will be appropriate in sending the message on the
following situations:
1. You want to invite your best friend to your birthday party.
2. You have to tell your best friend that you won’t be able to come to her
party.
3. You need to tell your teacher that you lost your homework.
4. You want to share a historic speech with your class.
5. You want to tell the author what you thought about the book he wrote.
◦ Who is receiving the message?
Messages carry ideas from senders to receivers. Sometimes the sender has one specific
receiver in mind. Some messages have many receivers. Analyze the receiver. Think of a
message you need to send. Perhaps you need to discuss a misunderstanding with your
friends. May be you need to congratulate your cousin on winning a race. Or may be you
need to write a report that you will present in class. In analyzing the receiver, consider the
following questions:
1. Who should receive this message?
2. Who else might receive this message?
3. Imagine that this message goes viral on the internet, who might receive the message
then?
4. What might happen if someone you don’t intend, receives this message?
5. Will you change the message to adjust for other possible receivers?