...Knowing Your Audience Brian Hedlund BCOM/275 May 30, 2013 Lisa Beggs Knowing Your Audience Public communications during a time of crisis can be critical. It is important to identify the target audience, determine the needs of the audience, and determine the channel of communication for the audience. Considerations of the Audience The two core audiences from the Chilean Miner accident are the families of the victims and the employees of Minera San Esteban Primera. The two audiences, although affected by the same event may react very differently. The communication needs of the family members have information needs that support them emotionally while the employees will need reassurance from Minera San Esteban Primera. Both groups should be addressed formally and with compassion. Any concerns that the audience have need to be addressed to maintain their confidence. Basic information will need to stay the same for all audiences being addressed. While the methods and amount of detail can change, it is crucial that the information delivered is consistent. Whatever information is passed to the audience will also need to be delivered in an easily understood method. The audience will comprehend the information better by simplifying the presentation instead of the content (Lundgren & McMakin, 2013). Potential Needs of the Families The families of the trapped miners will be extremely emotional and have to be addressed with compassion...
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...Knowing Your Audience Communication is one tool that humans have advantage over any other species. It allows us to convey messages, instructions, information, and questions to each other. Whenever communication is used, the communicator must consider the audience that he or she will be addressing. The elements within the message must reflect on the audience to have a fully effective communication. The type of message and the mood of the audience will have major contributions to the message’s contents and how it will be expressed. When communicator hone on this vital information, it will help them communicate with their intended audience more efficiently. If you do not know much about your audience, it will be difficult to persuade them or maintain their attention. Knowing them can assist you to contour your message in a way that is most likely to achieve their approval. To obtain this approval, you will have to move your audience to change their pre-conceived attitudes and/or beliefs of the topic you are covering. In some cases, it is your discretion to emphasize their attitudes and beliefs. In the case of the Chilean Mining Accident, many factors have to be considered to ensure that your message will be received well with positive reaction. The obvious fact is the country and its economical status. Factors can include education, professional background, age, and gender. You must also regard their common interests and their relationship to one another. A good communicator will...
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...Knowing Your Audience BCOM/275 Knowing Your Audience BCOM/275 On August 5, 2010, 33 miners were working about 2,300 feet underground when the mine collapsed trapping them (“New York Times”, 2011). The world held its breath while everyone waited 17 days to hear the fate of the miners. Once it was discovered that all the miners were alive, a massive rescue effort went into effect. On October 13, 2010 all 33 miners were rescued. They traveled up a narrow shaft that required their waist size not be larger than 35 inches (“NBCNews.com”, 2010). The communication that was sent out the families of these men needed to be considerate and compassionate. The company, MINERA San Esteban Primera, needed to inform the families that they are ready to do anything to help these men get to safety. This was a story that caught the eye of the media very quickly. Some of the families of the trapped miners lived far away and depended on the media for updates about their loved ones. In the past, television, newspaper, and radio were the main sources for information. However, today we use the Internet much more often than the sources mentioned. In this specific incident, all forms of communication were used with a focus on the Internet, as the whole world was watching. During a disaster like this, there is usually a spokesperson assigned. The spokesperson has a very important job. Sometimes, the media can deliver the news and tend to deliver only...
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...Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release BCOM/275 Kein Pettus Dr. Gail Zwart Communication is the basis of life, some belief communication created the world and everything in it. Words are powerful and if not used wisely, can be very damaging. However if used with care and in an uplifting manner; words can turn a challenging or seemingly bleak situation around. The story of the workers trapped in the copper mine in Chile was an example of a seemingly bleak situation, as the miners fought to stay alive while being rescued. An interesting yet sympathetic dynamic about this story is the feeling of being trapped did not only affect those physically trapped in the mine. These people are fathers, sons, brothers, friends and co-workers who one would be safe to assume that the people connected to the workers also felt trapped as they could do nothing but hope for the best and stay positive. Delivering such devastating news to the families and coworkers is not an easy task. One could be safe to imagine that it is one of the hardest messages that need to be relayed. In addition to the given considerations such as tone and content; guarding the hearts of the audience involved is the most important consideration to have when baring this news to bring. Deciding what should be made known to the audience is important as well, information that can bring their spirits down should only be conveyed if absolutely necessary. Word choice is crucial to the outcome and...
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...Knowing Your Audience BCOM/275 September 22, 2014 Knowing Your Audience Knowing Your Audience On August 5, 2010, the main entrance into the San José Mine, near Copiapó, Chile, collapsed trapping 33 miners approximately 2,300 feet underground for more than two months Weik, J. (2010). The miners’ family members, and by extension, the world, grew increasingly concerned about the well-being of the thirty three men as there was no way of determining the actual state of the miners initially. On August 22, 2010, after 17 day of no contact, the rescuers bore a small and the trapped miner’s sent up a message telling rescuers they were still alive New York Times, (2011). On October 13, 2010, the first miner was lifted out of the mine. All thirty three men were safely retrieved in less than 24 hours and reunited with their families. When a company needs to pass information to another organization or a group of people it is very important that the company knows their audience. If the information is regarding a disaster, it is even more important to make sure the company knows their audience. In such a disastrous circumstance, the company would need to take great care in how the families and the world received information about the disaster. If not done properly then the company’s audience would view the company in a much worse light then if they had properly and accurately released the information. The mining company was responsible for...
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...Knowing Your Audience Team D March 23, 2015 “Knowing Your Audience” When an organization or a company needs to forward information to another group, organization, or company, as the sender it is very vital that you know your audience. When sending a message that is regarding life, death, or a disaster, it is even more important that you know your audience. In disastrous circumstances, the way the victim’s family member, friends, or even the world finds out should be done with tact, compassion, and empathy, and they shouldn’t hear about it from an unreliable source, so the delivery of your message should be prompt When delivering a message that may possibly be dealing with death, there are vital things a sender should consider when dealing with a victim’s family and their employer/colleges, because of the different roles that are played by these two specific audiences. When conveying the message, if the audience isn’t taken into consideration the message could be misunderstood or taken out of context. This can future cause confusion and anger on the receiving end. When communicating with families of a victim, the sender should be prepared to answer a lot of difficult questions pertaining to the victim about what went down. These type of questions can be difficult because as the sender you will probably know very little about the incident. As the sender; inform the family that you will keep them in the loop and if anything changes...
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...Knowing Your Audience and Communication Release BCOM/275 Knowing Your Audience and Communication Release On August 5, 2010, the world focused on a small copper mine named San Jose Mine In northern Chile, when it was discovered that a mining shift had collapsed and thirty three miner’s were trapped 310 meters (1017 feet) below the ground. This tragedy captured audiences of every source of mainstream media around the world. The media reported updates on the conditions of the trapped miners daily until their rescue on October 9, 2010. People were drawn to the families of the trapped miners. Because of the magnitude of this unnatural disaster, audiences worldwide were depending on the reporters to give them every detail possible. Not to mention those connected to the disaster: family, close friends, coworkers, and the rescue teams of the trapped miners. Many people living thousands of miles away from the disaster site hoped for a glimpse of the trapped miners and their rescue. For the family and friends of the thirty three miners’ who were trapped deep below the Earth’s surface it would be the mining company’s responsibility to notify them immediately It is very important to know the specific needs of your audience during this type of tragedy. Traditionally; radio, television, telephones, and newspapers have been the main source of delivering important messages but, in this specific incident all forms of media were used because people all over the world were interested...
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...miners Joe Brotz Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release BCOM/275 10/1/12 Heather Rideout Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release Knowing your audience is extremely important for any company to have the ability to communicate materials or information to a group, organization, or the public. The ability to know your audience becomes even more important when a company has to deal with a disaster, outcome, and the aftermath of it. A good example of this is the disaster for the Chilean copper miners in South America. In a Chilean copper mine a disastrous collapse of one of the shafts left 33 miners trapped 310 meters below the surface. This disaster made knowing and understanding their audience extremely important to the mine owners. The audience’s for the company to report to at this time were made up of news correspondence, the victim’s families, and the media. The way this company dealt with this disaster and their different audiences would in the end define how their audience and the world would see them. Their turnaround to report and keep the audience informed went a long way in telling how the Chilean mining company will be viewed for a long time into the future. Not only would the company representative have to keep the prestige of the mining company in one piece, they would have to issue precise and straightforward information that would not always be in the best interest of the company. When a disaster to the extent of...
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...Knowing Your Audience – San Jose Mine By Ash H Business Communication and Creative Writing After reviewing the short article that described the incident which occurred at San Jose mine (a small copper operation in the northern Chile that is owned by Minera San Esteban Primera), I felt that it was properly direct and to the point and did not steer away from all the important information that any audience would find necessary in order to be involved of the situation. However, I did notice how “cold” and unwelcoming the information felt reading it on paper. Almost as if a human being did not write this article but instead a generic robot that did not imply any sort of needed emotion in regards to the unsettling and questionable incident that occurred. When understanding the different considerations to remember given the different roles and people in the audience, I have a few issues with the way this article was written. If I were a family member of one of the trapped victims at the San Jose mine, I would not find any comfort in the sentence stating “Local organizations, such as the federation of Chilean mining workers (FMC) and the confederation of copper workers (CTC) have questioned Minera San Esteban's safety record, highlighting several fatal accidents that have previously been reported at the small company.” (Weik, 2010) In fact, I would feel more alarmed and worried than I was initially thought to be due to the possibility that this company not only allowed their...
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...Knowing Your Audience Jacob Kalajian BCOM/275 August 26, 2013 Todd Breton Knowing your audience is one of the most important aspects in communication. You may send the same message to different people but because of your audience you will choose different methods of communication, we have to make sure our message is understood. There was a tragic accident on Thursday August 5th, 2010 there was a mine in Chile that collapsed trapping 33 miners 2300 feet below ground level, without any communication to the outside world, with limited supplies of food, water, and oxygen. After a few days of the collapse still no one knew if the men were alive or dead. Prior to releasing any information to the family and to the people, you have to investigate a little as what went wrong, where the men would be in this scenario and what their best option to keep them alive so when the message is delivered you will cover the questions that will come up. The company had to release the news about the minors, one to the family members and other to the staff of what had happened that day. This is a serious decision the company would have to take as how to transfer this type of news about their loved one. You have more than a few audience in situations like this, you have the families, the peers, the country, and the world, and they will be watching you. Upon delivering the message to the families face-to-face would be best in these situations, you have to be very careful to...
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...Knowing your Audience BCOM/275 University of Phoenix Nicole S. Morgan Knowing Your Audience The story of the 33 miners who were trapped for 69 days after the San Jose Mine they were working in collapsed in Chile is a heart wrenching tale that touched many. The most important factors in communicating this true story are portraying the feelings and emotions that were felt during this harrowing event. The audience consists of family, members of the community, and company employees. It is important that proper and effective communication is used in portraying the details of this story so that the needs of family are met and the emotions of loved ones are protected. Using such approaches as Logos, Pathos and Ethos and steering clear of the common logical fallacies is imperative in addressing the audience. Logos is a logical appeal that uses facts to support a speaker’s topic. Pathos is used to attempt to convince others with emotional appeals; this allows the presenter to you can engage the audience’s passion by appealing to the audience’s fear, love and hope. Ethos shows your audience that you are competent, honesty, and most of all empathetic. All of these appeals are key in communicating a message that makes the audience feel that you are relaying sound information that caters to their emotions and empathizes with their plight. Some of the potential...
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...Knowing your audience is essential when presenting any information. It is important to think about the needs of your audience when organizing your information to be presented. Not everyone is the same in an audience, so you must try to consider all of the different points of view that will be listening to you. Your audience will sense if you are concerned about their needs from the way you deliver your information. If they sense you to be trustworthy and credible, then they are more likely to be receptive to your point of view (Moore & Parker, 2009). Imagine what type of information would be most appealing to your audience, and focus your intention on that. Thinking about the interests of your audience will help you to better organize your information, so that your audience can understand it with the least amount of effort. If you can anticipate the needs and wants of your audience, then you have a much better chance of them understanding the original intent of your message with little confusion. When trying to communicate a message to the families of the miners that were involved in the Chilean Copper Mine incident, you must first think about their feelings. The families of the miners are scared and fearing for the lives of their loved ones. If they have not talked to anyone with verifiable information, then they may only be hearing about the incident from the media, which can cause them to imagine the worst. The company needs to reassure the families everything...
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...Knowing Your Audience XBCOM 275 Skyye Smith September 8, 2013 Knowing Your Audience There are many considerations one must remember given the different roles and people in the audience. You will have to take into consideration their needs and what information should be shared. You would not want to share information that has not been confirmed. The families of the miners will need reassurance. They need a caring individual as well as someone who is determined to help those who are stuck in the mine. The miners’ families are going to need reassurance that everything thing will work out but they also need reliable information. Many will end up relying on news stations for information if they are not kept in contact with someone at the scene, this will cause confusion and possibly more stress and panic among the families. When talking to fellow workers you want to be a friend but also be seen as someone who is handling the situation. The workers will want to feel that you care about them and what happened when the mine collapsed. They also want to feel that you are going to take care of their families and any issues that might arise. The workers will also want to feel that you will do anything in your power to get the rest of the miners out in the safest way possible The action you should take before and after delivering the message to each audience is simple. Before delivering the message it is important to make it clear who your audience is. Each audience has different...
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...Knowing Your Audience Business Communications/BCOM275 March 18, 2012 George Solli Knowing Your Audience When you are trying to portray a message, it is important to remember who your audience is. The way you approach delivering a message will depend on your audience and if you are delivering the message informally, formally, personally, or on behalf of a company. The way you deliver a message after an accident or disaster is important, as you are people with a fragile situation and fragile people involved. If a company portrays, through their messages, that the situation is not under control or that they do not care there will be dire consequences for that company and anybody affiliated with the company. On August 5, 2010, a copper mine shaft in northern Chile collapsed leaving 33 miners trapped in the San Jose mine. The miners were trapped 1017 feet below the ground. The company’s reaction and response to the situation would influence the world’s view on the company. At the point of the mineshaft collapse, it became extremely important for the company’s representatives to communicate effectively with the press, family members of the miners, investors and government officials. The company had multiple audience types and the initial release of information and each update needed to change for each audience group to fit the needs of each group. The company needed to keep the reputation and outlook of the mining company intact. The company’s representatives...
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...Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release Kendra Schilling BCOM 275 January 30, 2012 Britta Cammarata Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release On August 5, 2010, the airwaves and newsprint ran a story about a small copper mine in northern Chile collapsing and trapping 30 miners inside. On this day the Minera San Esteban Primera Mining Company had a difficult task set before them. The company would not only have to inform the families of the trapped miners and its employees of the accident but would also initiate a search and rescue efforts to locate the men still trapped in the mine. The first task was to locate the miners and use every possible means to remove the miners quickly from the mine. The second task would be to inform the families of the miners and the employees of the company of this horrible accident. Although rescuing the miners from the copper mine will be a challenge for the company, but the biggest challenge the company will face is communicating with the different groups of people involved in this tragedy. When communicating with the different diverse group of people, the company needs to consider what his or her audience needs whether it is reassurance or details of the accident. The company also needs to consider security, by electing one spokesperson to relay information to the families, employees, and the news media this way the company can ensure the individual groups are receiving the proper information (Neal, 2010)...
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