BCA SEMI I: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

UNIT 3

 Media & Modes

 Conventional Modes
 Mail
 Courier
 Hand Delivery
 SMS
 Voice Mail
 Fax
 Email
 Teleconferencing
 Websites
 Notice board
 Hoardings and bill boards
 Newspapers & magazines
 Radio
 Film
 Television
 Internet
 Choice of media

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 UNIT 3

Meaning & introduction

MEDIA (CHANNELS) OF COMMUNICATION | TYPES OF MEDIA

COMMUNICATION
Media or channel is the means or ways of transmitting the messages from sender to the receiver.
The media of oral communication are face to face conversation, telephone or mobile, conference,
meetings etc. The media of written communication are newspaper, letter, report, memo, mail etc.
According to Bartol and Martin, “The communication is the method used to convey the message
to the intended receiver.”

According to Defleur and Dennis, “A medium is a device for moving information through time
or space.”

So, Media or channel of communications is the means or ways that are used to transitioning the
messages or information from the sender to the receiver.

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TYPES OF MEDIA COMMUNICATION

(A) Verbal communication: Verbal communication is the expression or exchanged of

information or messages through written or oral words. Forms of verbal communication are
as follows:

1. Oral communication: Oral communication is the process of communication in which

messages or information is exchanged or communicated within sender and receiver through the
word of mouth. It can be divided into two ways: a. Speaking b. Listening.

2. Written communication: Written communication is the process of communication in

which messages or information is exchanged or communicated within sender and receiver
through written form. It can be divided into two ways: a. Writing b. Reading.

(B) Nonverbal communication: nonverbal communication is the expression or exchanged of

information or messages through without using any spoken or written word. Some of the
forms of non-verbal communications are as follows:

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 1. Facial expression 2 . Gestures 3. Body language 4. Proximity 5. Touch 6. Appearance 7.
Silence 8. Paralinguistic 9. Eye Gaze or eye contact etc.

MODES OF COMMUNICATION
1) Mail.
2) Files.
3) Telex.
4) Telegraph.
5) Telephones.
6) Computer.

CONVENTIONAL MODES

Mail
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting documents and other small packages.
Today most countries in the world have a highly advanced postal service .
A basic Postal system has three parts :
a) Collecting Letters .
b) Sorting them according to destination.
c) Delivery .
 Types Of Mail .
• There are two types of Mail .
Inward Mail :
• No unauthorised person is allowed to handle the mail.
• Letters , parcels , covers , etc should be opened in the presence of an official .
• If any letter is unanswered after the lapse of 48 hours , such letters are entered into Pending
Letter Register .
Outward Mail .
• All correspondence should be type written and carbon copies are kept .
• The mail supplied by the business house to other establishment is called an outward mail.
Telex.
• It is a communication system consisting of teletypewriter connected to a telephonic network to send and
receive signals .
• The telex network is a switched network of teleprinters similar to a telephone network, for the purposes
of sending text-based messages .

Advantages
1. Written communication can be sent from one subscriber to another by direct dailling .
2. If the receiver is unavailable , the message is saved in the teleprinter machine and he can
reply to it later.
3. It is quicker means of communication than the telegram and cheaper than the trunk call
service .
Disadvantages.
1. The message maybe distorted .
2. Lines are frequently out of order .
3. Connection is not always available

Telegraph

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• A telegraph is a communications system in which information is transmitted over a wire through a series
of electrical current pulses, usually in the form of Morse code . The basic components include a source of
direct current, a length of wire or cable, and a current-indicating device such as a relay, buzzer, or light
bulb. The term comes from the Greek words "tele" meaning "at a distance" and "graphien" meaning "to
write”.

Advantages.
1. The transfer of message is very fast .
2. The transfer of message between the sender and the receiver is direct.
3. There is no distortion of message

Disadvantages.
1. Skilled people are needed for the preparation of message transmission and reception .
2. A relatively large equipment investment and inventory is required to achieve teletypewriter
communication.

Telephones.
• The telephone is one of the most marvelous inventions of the communications era.
• Physical distance is conquered instantly and any telephone in the world can be reached through a vast
communication network that spans oceans and continents.
• The first successful telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell on March 7 , 1876.

Advantages.
1. Fastest mode of communication .
2. Anyone can use it , its cheap and very handy .
3. Can communicate with more than 1 person at a time.
4. No distance and time barrier .
5. Immediate feedback .
6. Call can be done anyday/anytime .

Disadvantages.
1. It is not very secure.
2. Signal might not be available everywhere .
3. There might be noise or poor quality of voice
4. There is no permanent record for legal purpose.
5. Helps terrorism .
6. These days marketing calls are being a head ache and causes disturbance .
7. Misused for making anonymous calls.

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MODERN COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Technology has altered modern life in many ways, especially in the workplace. The invention of
computers, the miniaturization of electronics and the development of wireless communication
have all altered the business world. Business communication, in particular, has seen some of the
greatest advancements due to technological developments.

Telephone: Alexander Graham Bell revolutionized the way people communicate with his patent
on the telephone in 1876. Over the past century, advances in technology have replaced the heavy
hardware and metal wiring of the original design with lightweight microcircuitry. These
advancements have also allowed for the transition from landlines to wireless, freeing people to
communicate from remote locations. All over the world, millions of people can talk to each
other, expanding businesses and improving relationships that might not otherwise have survived

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across long distances. Telephones also allow for instant communication, and new technology
integrates video and Internet.

The first telephones, as well as their modern counterparts, consist of a ringer, transmitter, dialer,
switch hook, power source and anti-sidetone circuit, all of which have been advanced by new
technology.

Fax: Just as the conventional telephone carries voice, a fax or facsimile machine carries printed
messages (words and pictures in photocopy form) from the sender instrument to the receiver
instrument.

The sender of a fax message prepares the copy on a sheet (generally no larger than A4 size)
which can be fed into the fax machine. He dials the destination number, gets the fax tone and
feeds the message into the machine.

The printed message is converted into electronic signals as the paper rolls through the fax
machine. This message is received in the same form at the other end on the paper roll that is
attached to the machine.

Cellular Phone: One of the biggest advancements in communication has been the development
of the cellular phone. In the past, your only chance of reaching employees was when they were at
their desks, prompting endless games of “phone tag” as people tried to connect during busy
workdays. Now, workers are reachable no matter where they are, and even during non-work
hours. The development of smartphones has also greatly expanded the types of business
activities you can transact when out of the office, increasing productivity and extending the
workday.

The capabilities of cell phones have continued to increase since their introduction in the late
1980s. In addition to basic text messaging and wireless phone conversations, many cell phones
enable their users to send and receive email, pictures and recorded videos. Bluetooth technology
has further increased the communicative value of cell phones, allowing talkers to carry on their
conversations hands-free with the use of a small, one-sided headset.

Text messaging services: Keeping in touch with friends is very important, so text messaging
services have solved this problem by creating mobile phone apps, which enable you to text your
buddies on instant for free. A good example is ebuddy. The buddy chat service will allow you to
chat with your close friends via text for free.

SMS text messaging:We are all aware of the uses of text messaging. They are short and a good
way to communicate small bits of information that can be received and replied to at their own
leisure. These days people are rarely not within arm’s reach of their mobile device so it isn’t a
surprise that more people are using their smartphones then computers so it is a perfect platform
to engage with your audience.

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Use of emails: Even though social networks are trying to replace email communication; there is
certain information which users can not exchange via social networks. So email services like
yahoo mail, Hotmail, and Gmail. Have eased communication. It’s now very rare to find a person
writing a letter because that will involve posting it to a postal office and paying delivery fees,
which is not the case when you use electronic mail.

Although email is not brand new, there are definitely new and innovative ways of accessing this
tool remotely and without the usage of a computer. Many PDAs and cell phone services offer
access to email, with the capability of sending and receiving messages from the devices
themselves. This technology can be extremely helpful for those who must stay in constant
communication with family members, co-workers or other acquaintances without being bound to
larger computers or laptops.

The Internet allows communication in two ways: static communication through Web pages, and
dynamic communication through information being exchanged. Data posted to a Web page, such
as product specifications, allow instant access to the same data from anywhere in the world, a
static form of communication that frees up company resources which would otherwise be
engaged in constantly repeating the same information. Online product orders are a type of
dynamic communication, and can be as complex as keeping a real-time inventory, alerting
employees of changes in costs or real-time chat between a customer service agent and a customer
or field representative.

Other Screens
Phones are not the only high-tech communication devices, of course. Computers come in a wide
variety of configurations these days, including tablets, small-but-powerful laptops, 2-in-1 devices
that serve as either a laptop or tablet, and other variations. These devices all have built-in
wireless capabilities and can also be configured with mobile communications, making them, in
essence, large cell phones. Whatever device a business person carries, it facilitates verbal, text
and image

Live web chat:You are likely to have seen these on lots of websites already and they can be very
helpful if you are able to manage them correctly. Live web chats allow people on your website to
ask questions in real time without leaving your website.

You should only consider using live web chat if you can guarantee someone will be actively
using the widget. If it takes more than a few seconds to respond to someone via web chat it will
reflect poorly on your business so it’s best avoided if you can’t maintain the demand.

Video Conferencing: Gone are the days when you had to wait for your boss to be in the meeting
to start a presentation. New technology enables your boss to be in the business meeting while in
a hotel in Hawaii preparing for a partnership or investors meeting. This has been made possible
by the invention of video conferencing.

This gives greater information by the fact that both parties can see each other. Physical contact is
missing but Estate Agents are still able to see body language and facial expressions. This way of

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communication isn’t as popular as the telephone but is perfect for staff meetings in different
geographical locations.

With a number of video calling apps and software available for free such as Facebook
messenger, Skype and Whatsapp, video calls are definitely worth considering.

Teleconferencing
High-speed data connections allow for the use of teleconferencing, virtual meetings held over
audio and video links. Teleconferencing can save substantial amounts of money otherwise spent
on travel by connecting important employees in far-flung branches together to share ideas and
information. The use of virtual whiteboards, communal data-sharing platforms where remote
users can interact as if around the same table, further increase the possibilities of the virtual
workplace.

Image Scanning
Document and image scanners allow workers to convert paperwork, plans, diagrams and photos
into electronic files quickly for storage and transmission. Instead of relying on hand delivery of
important documents across town or across the country, employees can scan and send these files
in a matter of seconds across the Internet. An architectural firm could, for instance, scan updates
to a plan, transmit it to the client, receive changes and make alterations all before a messenger
would have been able to make the first run across town.

RFID
The development of radio frequency identification has substantially changed the field of business
logistics and, paired with other business communication advancements, has the potential to
increase a company’s efficiency significantly. RFID tags are small chips that respond to radio
waves with encoded information, allowing companies to tag and track items and materials. When
an employee activates a scanning device, all RFID tags within range will respond with their
coded information, allowing for quick updates of warehouse inventories and real-time tracking
of shipments as they pass through the supply chain. Being able to access inventory on demand
allows companies to take advantage of “just-in-time” shipping, providing products and material
only when needed to reduce warehousing requirements and reduce the amount of excess stock
stored at retail or office facilities.

Social networking platforms: These social interaction networks have helped individuals
discover old school friends and also get new friends based on interests and region. Before this
technology, it would be next to impossible for you to find all your old friends and interact with
them on an instant, share life and your past on instant. It would even be difficult to get new
friends from other countries. But now that barrier has been removed by social networks like
facebook.com

Chat & Private Messaging :Collaborative spaces which provide private/group messaging and
chat functions are often viewed as one of the best business communication tools to keep teams

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working together. It’s an effective form of communication for busy employees and managers.
Instant messaging makes updates on projects and general team discussion much easier.

This works well when employees or team members are spread across different geographical
locations and different time zones. Files can be shared and conversations can be accessed if
needed.

Chat rooms and group messaging environments may seem the same, but the interfaces are often
very different. For instance, your company might get more out of an instant messaging platform
than a chat room if you don't have a lot of team-based projects, and individuals only occasionally
need to contact other individuals within the organisation.

Discussion Forums: Although discussion forums may seem like old tech to some, it is still one
of the preferred communication business tools used today.

A discussion forum can bring together management and employees and allows for an open
discussion on any topic (usually set up and monitored/moderated). It can also help in knowledge
dissemination and bring the workforce together. Forums are also effective in archiving
organisational knowledge to be used by anyone as a reference. Employee morale can also be
boosted by participating in regular discussion forums.

Discussion forums will also facilitate knowledge sharing. No time will be wasted answering the
same questions again and again once the company forum has been integrated with enterprise
search. This will enable forum information to be discovered by people who need it, when they
need it.

Mass Communication

Hoardings & Billboards are large structures located in public places,on main roads with a
large amount of passing motor and traffic.

Radio is media of mass oral communication.The radio is very useful for advertisements also to
give information about product,projects,programs etc.

Radio: In 1906, Reginald Fessenden, creator of the first sophisticated radio transmitter,
expanding on the ideas of Guglielmo Marconi, sent music and speech across the airwaves. This
invention of the radio allowed sound and information to be broadcast to an extremely wide
audience. Radio reached its golden age during the 1920s, and companies advertised their
products to consumers around the world. During the 1930s radio expanded further into news,
politics, vaudeville routines and sporting events, broadcasting into millions of homes every day.

Television: was introduced to the public in 1946, even though it had been experimented with
since the late 1920s. Television exploded in homes around the world, going from 940,000
households in the beginning to 20 million by 1953. Corporations suddenly had the opportunity to
show their products, not just describe them. Over the following decades, television became the
predominant source of communication to a wide audience, and it changed the political and

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cultural landscape forever. People were suddenly able to witness iconic events, such as the first
moon landing and the progression of the civil rights movement.

A major criticism was that television reduced complex events into simple entertainment, but
television was here to stay, changing the way people received their news.

Film it is very powerful media of communication.

messages about product both audio-visual medium which combined all possible forms
written,oral,visual.

Newspaper& magazines : these communication which is very useful to send information about
the product. Inviting the tenders, for recruitment information and other public notices and
advertisement.

Newspapers convey the news from around the world. Newspapers are written by reporters who
may be recording facts, expressing their opinions, or reporting the opinions of others. They write
about all kinds of things, from the latest gossip stories to medical breakthroughs. The
information they convey is varied and diverse. The reporter may know about a particular topic,
or the reporter may interview people with the relevant experience.

Magazines and periodicals provide articles about all kinds of topics from fashion and make-up
to car maintenance. The articles are written by people who have experience in that particular
topic, or who are able to interview people with the relevant experience.

Websites: anchor the public marketing presence for most small businesses. A well-designed
website shares basic information like product and service lists and associated costs. Some
companies go a step further and use their website to host customer discussion forums, videos,
documents and blog posts.

Do not underestimate the value of a regularly maintained blog. Customers believe they are
getting something of value, while you increase the goodwill you earn among your target market.

Twitter is a popular social networking site created in 2008. While the concept is not unlike
similar social sites such as MySpace and Facebook, Twitter is unique in that users can write (or
"tweet") messages from either their computer or cell phone in short, concise updates, as often as
they please. The concept of Twitter revolves around the idea that people can stay updated on the
events of others' lives without spending a lot of time sifting through extraneous information or
more elaborate weblogs. Another perk is the fact that Twitter is completely free and requires no
special software.

Video Marketing:Video has really taken off over the last few years with the help of social
channels like YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. It also helps that it is easier than
ever with smartphones and webcams always handy.

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It is important that you get your message across in a variety of formats and video is definitely
one of the most popular ways in which you can do so.

Email, social networks, newsgroups and video transmission have connected the world like never
before. Privacy concerns have arisen with the proliferation of the Internet, especially with
government monitoring and certain social networking sites, but the Internet has woven itself into
the fabric of society and business. High-speed connections allow for an immense amount of
information to be transferred in seconds.

REFERENCES
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/modern-types-of-communication
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/role-technology-business-communication-55139.html
https://www.useoftechnology.com/technology-communication/
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/modern-means-business-communication-2819.html
https://www.kullabs.com/classes/subjects/units/lessons/notes/note-detail/4776
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business-communication/modern-forms-of-
communication-fax-email-and-videoconferencing/27654

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