1. Elements
1.1. 1. Source
1.1.1. The source of communication is the sender who has a message to impart. The sender has to decide how to communicate a message, which channel is to be selected for the message and what type of strategies should be planned so that the message makes the desired response. The sender provides verbal or non-verbal cues that can be received, interpreted and responded to by the receiver.
1.2. 2. Message
1.2.1. Message is a set of signs and symbols which are given by the source to create meanings for the receiver. Simply put, message is the content which is shared between the participants in the communication process. To make the message effective, the sender has to understand the nature and profile of the receiver of the message, his/her needs and expectations and possible response to the message. This is important in both face-to-face as well as mediated situations.
1.3. 3. Channel
1.3.1. Channel is the medium used to communicate a message from the sender to receiver. The channel could be spoken word, printed word, electronic media, or even non-verbal cues such as signs, gestures, body language, facial expressions, etc. In modern communication parlance, the word 'channel' mostly refers to mass communication media such as newspapers, radio, television, telephone, computers, internet etc. The selection of an appropriate channel is crucial for the success of communication.
1.4. 4. Receiver
1.4.1. Communication cannot take place without a receiver for whom the message is meant. We receive a message, interpret it and derive meaning from it. You have already studied that for successful communication, the receiver should receive the message in the same way it was meant by the sender. In interpersonal communication, the receiver shares a close relationship with the sender which gradually gets diluted in group and mass communication.
1.5. 5. Noise
1.5.1. Noise is distortion in a message which affects the flow of communication. Noise could be due to internal as well as external sources. Noise creates barriers in communication and it could be of many types. There are various types of noises which have implication in the process of communication and how these can be overcome for facilitating effective communication are discussed in the next section.
1.6. 6. Feedback
1.6.1. The response given by the receiver to the message of the sender is known as feedback. Communication being a two-way process, without the element of feedback any discussion on the process of communication is incomplete. You have read in subsection 1.3.2 that interpersonal communication allows greater scope for feedback as both sender and receiver can decipher the facial expressions, body movements and cross question each other to remove their doubts/queries. In fact, their roles are intertwined and cannot be distinguished. The element of feedback gets gradually diluted when the number of participants in communication activity increases.