CHAPTER 3

EVALUATING MESSAGES

LESSON 1

EVALUATING MESSAGES: A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

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Outcomes:

On completion of the activities/tasks, you will be assessed on your ability to:

1. identify individual elements/aspects that contribute to the message;

2. analyze the functions of such elements toward the attainment of the message;

3. distinguish moods/motifs reflected; and

4. illustrate certain characteristics of effective messages.

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Language is not an exterior medium or instrument into which I pour a self and from which I glean a
reflection of that self . . . . Indeed to understand identity as a practice, and as a signifying practice, is to
understand culturally intelligible subjects as the resulting effects of a rule-bound discourse that inserts
itself in the pervasive and mundane signifying acts of linguistic life.”

Butler 1990

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Introduction

Grand narratives, according to Lyotard, have come to extinction. Those pieces of history that to
the great Napoleon Bonaparte are ‘one-sided account’ no longer stand as sell-outs. These are
no longer sufficient to make people understand the phenomena around them.

As issues arise the determination to comprehend them more than ever can be seen in how
advertisements emerge in the limelight as ground-breaking technology that advances
advocacies. People realize of their importance. Gradually, tiny details manage to awaken their
sensibilities.

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Evaluating messages in this era is made simpler. Looking at them through several lenses is
helpful as culture is arbitrary in nature. It conveys ideas that are distinct and rooted in myriad
sensibilities. What one experiences is what one brings to the table to further explain what is
depicted in the picture, video or any form of illustration. Unlocking messages is central to
evaluation. So be mindful of the elements that make up the bulk of the illustration as these are
the ones you will be assessing as you read on.

Guide questions in Unlocking Messages

- What is the general motif of the picture?

- How does the motif reflect interrelatedness of the elements?
- What objects/elements stand out?
- What objects/words seem out of place?
- What culture prevails in understanding the meaning conveyed?
- What general note can be drawn from the picture?

Guide questions in Evaluating Messages

- How is the message conveyed?

- What belief is used to support the message?
- In what way is the message best delivered?
- To what extent is the impact of the message felt?
- Who is the addressee of the message?
- What ethos does the message support?

Info Corner

No one wants to travel a long distance, spend a lot of

money and somehow end up in the wrong place. Evaluating

your communications along the way can help you to stay

on course and reach your destination.

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Simple unlocking means distinguishing the objects present, even colors. As these gradually
come to the fore, careful investigation of the value each present follows.

The explosion of cultures is alluded to how distinct people’s ideas are from each other. Pinning
down a meaning to something without acknowledging the culture of the author is perhaps
considered an offense. Without examining the cultural backdrop, many things could be
displaced, and out the many things identity is unquestionably the first one to lose essence.

Within man’s spectrum messages could go ad infinitum---these make him who he is. Evaluating
them would support the quest for truth behind his consciousness.

Info Corner

The ultimate goal of development communication is a higher quality of life for the people of a
society by social and political change.

The specific concept of development communication identifies information, education

and communication (identified by the acronym IEC) about development plans. Development

theorists and practitioners realized that merely disseminating information about development

plans would not result in development as UNESCO termed it, nations needed communication

(IEC) for development within the cultural matrix.

Rajesh Kumar

LESSON 2

EVALUATING MESSAGES: THE POWER OF NONVERBAL CUES

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Outcomes:

On completion of activities/tasks, you will be assessed on your ability to:

1. determine non-verbal cues that influence communication;

2. explain the relationship of the manifested actions;

3. describe the impact of technology on nonverbal messages;

4. analyze the prevalent culture that supports the actions;

5. judge the appropriateness of such actions in relation to the conveyed thoughts.

_________________________________________________________________________

Our interpersonal effectiveness depends on more than words. Nonverbal messages add to or detract from
our words. In effect, we become the message, with our nonverbal cues announcing our state of mind,
expectations, and sense of self. Our entire beings chatter incessantly, revealing what we really feel and
think.

www.sagepub.com/gambleic

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Introduction

Listening to someone talking gives the privilege of proving his sincerity to the addressees. Like
many politicians, anyone finds common gestures along with words uttered. This is based on the
premise that human beings share commonalities. Standing before a crowd, for example, not
only exposes one’s vulnerabilities but it also shows, most importantly, his ability to overcome the
fear of public speaking. In many instances, speakers are evaluated based on the tiniest of
details they display to people. This implies that non-verbal cues are so powerful in
communication.

People unknowingly uncover the other side of themselves when communication is free-flowing.
It does reveal habits such as gestures while speaking. While these do not necessarily define an
individual’s overall being, it shows, however, a huge part of the psyche. It is important to note
that this does not at all translate into changing personalities by putting an end to some of these
habits.

At the end of the day, the concern is just to evaluate messages put across by these
manifestations during communication. What is more vital in the process is the ability to
understand what they would want to convey to add clarity to the spoken words.

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Types of Nonverbal Cues

Kinesics Facial expressions, gestures, eye movement, posture, rate of walk

Paralinguistics How words are spoken, variations in the voice

Proxemics How space and distance are used

Haptics Different types of touching

Clothing and Appearance, style

artifacts

Color Variations in clothing and environmental colors

Chronemics Using time to communicate

www.sagepub.com/gambleic

MORE INFO

Body movements refer to the transfer from one location to another; gestures refer
to the movements made by the extremities (e.g. arms, legs, feet, hands), even
shoulders; and facial expressions pertain to those that are exhibited by the facial
elements (e.g. nose, eyes, cheeks, and eyebrows).

B.

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Common evaluation techniques:

Interviews Interviewing consists of selecting a handful of individuals who represent the base of your audience and asking targeted yet open-
ended questions. This will allow you to receive better insight into how people are responding to your communication activities.

Focus Groups You may want to bring together a group of people from your audience to test new messages. Unlike

interviews, focus groups are moderated by a facilitator and allow people to bounce ideas off one another,

building a richer set of data.

Surveys – Online and In-Person Using simple and inexpensive technology, you can administer an online survey consisting primarily of
multiple-choice questions. While you may be able to ask some open-ended questions, surveys are best for “checkbox” answers that garner
quantitative data.

Surveys can also be administered in person, allowing you to also observe the respondent and gather additional data based on his or her
reactions to the questions. There are several tactics for selecting participants for surveys:

Pre-determined population (for example, a group of 10 policymakers)

Snowball sampling As you survey one person, you ask if he or she knows someone else to survey; you would ask a respondent if
they know a friend who would be interested in taking the survey)

Intercept survey “Intercepting” members of your audience at a particular location appropriate to your communication activities and
surveying them on the spot (for example, asking shoppers at the seafood counter of a local grocery store about sustainable
seafood choices).

Are We There Yet?

A Communications Evaluation Guide

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 LESSON 3

EVALUATING MESSAGES: PEEKING THROUGH PROMOTIONS

Advertisements come in different forms. Quality of product is often linked to better promotions
whose purpose rarely veers away from the goal of gaining huge profit. When manufacturers
communicate to customers, the idea that drives them is active participation as a collective
response to products’ advocacies.

SAMPLE A

The SheppARTon Festival focuses on Raising Dreams and the key to raising the dreams o the
community, that is, Shepparton and its visitors, is participation. Thanks to our many sponsors, we offer
a program full of opportunity. There are opportunities for visual artists and those who appreciate the
visual arts; opportunities to engage in and appreciate the performing arts of drama, comedy and music
and opportunities to feast on wines and foods specific to our region and those that will expand our
culinary horizons. The program is rich, but it needs YOU to participate. Accept the challenge and
engage with all that the 2003 SheppARTon Festival has to offer.

SHEPPARTON ARTS FESTIVAL INC, ROBYN GOLDER MARKETING, MELBOURNE

SAMPLE B

TOYOTA NATIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC MUSTER

‘A celebration of the rural spirit---

The quintessential Aussie event with good friends, good music

And good times in the Australian bush’

It is not only the diverse world-class entertainment program that draw fans from around Australia and
overseas to the Toyota National Country Music Muster--- the atmosphere is phenomenal; the beauty of the
bushland setting; the warm glow of the campfires; starry nights; magical days; a musical feast in the
company of old and new friends.

Twelve great on-site venues offer a musical smorgasbord, from the best in Country to Bush Poets,
Bluegrass, Australia’s richest Talent Search, Kids Country … kick up your heels line dancin’, rock ‘n’ roll or
clogging, catch your breath in the Lagoon Wine Bar/Restaurant or the Theatre. Party till late at the Crow Bar
… there’s something to please every musical taste! And the ever-popular blues venue, exploded this year to
six whole days from Tuesday 26 to 31 August, will feature, among the greats, renowned international artist
Eric Bibb. Amazingly, all this entertainment is included in your ticket price!

The Muster site, just 2 hours drive north of Brisbane, and 40 minues from Noosa.
By pre-purchasing your tickets or accommodation packages, you will be in the draw to win a Toyota Echo.
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All proceeds raised are donated to worthy causes including the Toyota Muster’s Rural Aid Appeal.
Evaluating messages is a process of negotiation where speakers conclude about what has
been presented verbally or in writing. Van der Wagen (2008) introduces 11 communication tools
and tactics that help individuals attain a systematic negotiation of meaning.

COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND TACTICS IN NEGOTIATION

1. Preparatory research of the facts of the business situation or parties to the

agreement
2. Identification of goals of the negotiation and limits to the discussion
3. Clarification of the needs of all parties, including third party stakeholders such as
suppliers and contractors
4. Identification of points of agreement and points of difference
5. Active listening and questioning to clarify points of discussion
6. Non-verbal communication techniques to reinforce messages
7. Use of appropriate language, avoiding jargon, acronyms and colloquialisms
8. Bargaining strategies, including attempts to achieve win-win outcomes
9. Developing agreements verbally and in writing
10. Using appropriate cultural behavior

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 LESSON 4

REGISTERS: ITS DIMENSIONS

_________________________________________________________________________

Outcomes:

On completion of activities/tasks, you will be assessed on your ability to:

1. expound on the definition of register;

2. determine the characteristics of registers (formal/informal);
3. describe the influence of lexical occurrences to the attainment of goal;
4. evaluate the purpose of exchanges;
4. produce papers reflective of formal register.
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Language is an archaeological vehicle, full of the remnants of dead and living pasts, lost and buried
civilizations and technologies. The language we speak is a whole palimpsest of human effort and history.

(Russell Hoban in an interview, cf. Haffenden 1985)

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Introduction

What is said and how it is said are of equal importance. They are key factors to attaining best
results in communication.

A lot of considerations are needed in conveying thoughts to ensure that ideas are processed by
the listener. Individuals need clarity in whatever is delivered through three dimensions: field (the
topic/subject), tenor (the relationship e.g. speaker/listener, reader/writer, etc.) and mode (the
vehicle e.g. spoken/written). They exist as messages in different genres are ‘staged’ and ‘goal-
oriented’ (Rose and Martin, 2012).

Everyday encounter with people means exposure to the different dimensions. Depending on the
purpose, one finds himself facing many options to take before embarking on a meaningful
conversation with a friend, a boss, an officemate, a pastor, a sibling or even a complete
stranger. The idea is that one is aware of the levels at which he could fully exercise the
appropriate words, ways, voice, actions, and even accessories that the context so demands.

In realizing the complexity of the dimensions as one goes to discover the outcome of an
encounter, one is led to the idea that one language can be vastly disintegrated into multiple
registers so that a register could permanently or temporarily influence a given society.

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Lin (2016) asserts that people, irrespective of the first language used, would always make a
“language in everyday, local, oral contexts.” Seen as a vital component of culture, language
continues to evolve serve people’s interests. It has always been purpose-driven. The
functionality seen is as prevalent as man’s dire need for it.

Market-driven societies have now changed the way people think and act. A different landscape
has been offered for everyone to take part of. Synergy subsequently surfaces as a way of man’s
understanding of the complex nature of communication that has altered himself every time. This
and more are expected to fuel the cycle of building ideas unceasingly.

Read the abstracts and determine the words/lexical occurrences used.

Sample A

Tropical Dystopia: Prequel and Sequel to Filipino Postmodern Climate

Rhodora G. Magan
Cebu Technological University

Abstract—This paper utilizes an expanded sense of the term dystopia. It

begins from common associations such as chaos, disintegration, and
disorder to the occasionally occurring term, necrophilia, among researches
on dystopia. It is of key interest in the postmodern era to examine the
degree of “egregiousness” the society has become since the modern
period. The scope is not limited to assessing the era that followed right after
the twentieth century as this study is built on the premise that today’s
postmodern setup is Philippines’ metamorphosis from a dystopian past, and
from the postmodern present another picture of the future can be gleaned
which is of the same dystopian vein. This paper sought evidences proving
the nation’s anti-utopian past, present and future from the characters, non-
linear plot, and tropical images in Bob Ong’s novelette, Alamat ng Gubat
(Legend of the Forest). The text which caricatures an Asian dystopia (as
espoused in the title of this paper) streamlines the departure of an Oriental
culture from an established set of events known as history that has been
influenced by many cultures. Hence, history is responsible in shaping
today’s dystopian society and in predicting another of the same situation.
Index Terms—Pastiche, intertextuality, nostalgia, postmodernism, nemesis of utopia, parody.

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Sample B

Politics and the Environment

Robert J. Brulle
Drexel University
(Forthcoming in Kevin T. Leicht and J. Craig Jenkins (eds), The Handbook of Politics: State
and Civil Society in Global Perspective Springer Publishers, New York, NY )

For nearly 150 years, environmental concerns have been part of the U.S.
political agenda. As early as 1864, the U.S. Congress debated the proper
use of national lands, and, motivated by press accounts of the logging of
Giant Sequoia trees, decided to protect Yosemite Valley for aesthetic
reasons (Brulle 2000). Since then, as industrialization and environmental
impacts have risen in tandem, environmental politics has expanded its
range over an increasingly wide spectrum of political action, ranging from
local level land use decisions to global controls over CO2 emissions.

Thus the study of environmental politics encompasses a range of issues

across virtually all political arenas. As the range of environmental politics
has expanded, so too has the scholarship on this topic. Using a wide
variety of intellectual tools, ranging from legal studies to geospatial
analysis, the literature on environmental politics has expanded into an
immense field. In this essay, I seek to summarize the key theoretical
approaches that define this academic subfield, and some of the leading
research topics in environmental politics. It is important to realize that
there is not one universal definition of environmentalism. Rather,
environmentalism is defined by numerous discursive frames that define
distinct policy fields.

Thus environmental politics is carried out in distinct communities, each

focused on a particular aspect of environmental concerns. Thus this essay
begins with a discussion of the multiple frames that define
environmentalism. Secondly, there are several intellectual frameworks that
define the causes and cures to environmental problems. In the second

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part of this essay, I describe the major models regarding the causes of
environmental degradation, and how these models inform different
approaches to their solution. In the third section, I summarize the analysis
of the drivers that are unique to the development of environmental policy.
Here I focus on specific applications of standard approaches to
understanding environmental politics; 1) Changes in the political
opportunity structure, 2) Movement activities, 3) Development and
promulgation of new cultural belief systems, and 4) Condition of the
natural environment, including major environmental disasters. This section
concludes with a review of the literature on the dynamics of environmental
policy.

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 LESSON 5

REGISTERS VITAL ASPECT: TENOR

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Outcomes:

Given the resources and activities, the students should be able to:

1. determine the roles, attitudes and value systems of constituents;

2. identify the power relation reflected in texts;
3. apply the appropriate tenor in specific contexts;
4..evaluate the effectiveness of tenor in conveying messages; and
5. utter lines applying the appropriate tenor.
_________________________________________________________________________

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

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Introduction

Among the three dimensions, tone is by far the most complicated. Its involvement of people
marks off the difficulty in identifying what message is really conveyed.

When one comes across different people, one realizes the varying tones expressed. Depending
on the context, speakers portray an aura that cannot be missed by anyone listening. In registers
the attitude the speaker/writer manifests is called tenor. Same is true of tone in poetry.

How an idea is conveyed largely depends on the people involved. There are many levels by
which tenor can be fully understood. First, examine the role, that is, whether doctor/patient,
teacher/student, father/son, mother/daughter, peer/peer, employer/employee and more.
Second, look into the expected characteristics whether they are employed or not. Third,
consider the value system shared by constituents.

Tenor is signaled by power relations which could either be equal or unequal. Equality resides in
the intent of the speaker/writer to evoke the sense of belongingness to the listener/reader.
There is no assumption of ignorance on the part of the addressee ;hence, emotional response
is high.

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Tenor is always influenced by many factors. The message can have different implications not
just by the words employed but by the culture/speaking community that produces them. Society
is where all this bargaining of ideas or negotiation happen. What one says, despite being clear
and direct, may not be understood if the listener cannot place the information in the right
context. The attitude of the speaker along with the words spoken can have multiple projections
to the listener.

LESSON 6

REGISTERS: THE CORPORATE WORLD

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Outcomes:

On completion of this lesson you will be assessed on your ability to:

1. employ information on the generation of an event;

2. analyze elements that successfully contribute to the event including the exclusive
expressions used;

3. communicate the concepts through collaborative activities; and

4. evaluate an event in terms of its compliance to standards.

_________________________________________________________________________

It is everybody’s dream to have an event that doesn’t go awry. Many things could be done to
prepare for it. Communication is one in fulfilling a smoother transmission of ideas from the client
to the event manager and vice versa.

With the lack of appropriate concepts that control the whole event, much could be wasted.
Hence, a SWOT analysis is needed to address such unlikely circumstances. Van der Wagen
(2008) points out that the analysis is made easy with certain steps such as knowing the project
scope, objectives, financial viability and project milestones.

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Sample Activity # 1 Conduct a SWOT analysis to better prepare for the event.

S STRENGTHS

W WEAKNESSES

O OPPORTUNITIE
S

T THREATS

Now that you’ve plotted the SWOT entries, consider one of the factors that is primarily
considered in the aforesaid assessment data. Locations, venues and sites refer to where an
event takes place. They undoubtedly dictate the flow of the event as this is where most of the
aesthetics are stationed. Determining the perfect ambiance in a great backdrop makes
everyone most likely to not miss the gathering.

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 LESSON 7

COMMUNICATION Aids and Strategies Using Tools of TECHNOLOGY:

THE E-LINK PARADIGM

_________________________________________________________________________

Outcomes:

On completion of this chapter you will be assessed on your ability to:

1. create technology-supported outputs,

2. conduct communicative activities that enhance the application of technology;
3. link ideas using some tech. applications, and
4. evaluate the output with respect to the technology used.
_________________________________________________________________________

Rapid changes in technology have created a market, and a society, where information is king.
Rahim, E. & Dawson M., Colorado Technical University Faculty

_________________________________________________________________________

The application of technology to further your cause is a challenging undertaking to begin with.
Living in a digital climate requires us becoming more sensitive to their uses to be able to stay on
track.

In communication, one is now given an array of options by which messages are conveyed.
Several sites and applications can help anyone who would want to present an output in a more
dynamic way by virtue of colors, images, animations, templates and so on.

Creating multimodal texts prompt readers to be more skillful in acknowledging differences from
one mode to another. O’Brien reiterates the need to know the purpose, audience and genre to
know what mode is exactly needed. Software resources include:

PhotoStory 3, movie maker, and iMovieallow users integrate images, narration and sound;

Animoto combines images, sound and print;

Audacity  lets you record, edit and mix narration and music;

Videolicious 2 enables users to combine videos, photos, music and stories through a simple
talk and tap process; and

Voicethread uses voice along with documents, snapshots, diagrams and videos.

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Many people already realize about the importance of videos in sharing memories. From still
pictures to moving images, these moments of life are seen to extend meaning to the public.
Short films, trailers, and documentaries are some of those done by students, faculty, and
corporate individuals on a daily basis because meaning to them matters a lot.

The Digital Storytelling Association (2002) considers digital storytelling as “… the modern
expression of theancient art of storytelling… using digital media to create media-rich stories to
tell, to share, and to preserve.Digital stories derive their power through weaving images, music,
narrative, and voice together, thereby giving deep dimension and vivid color to characters,
situations, and insights.” Digital stories have three categories: personal narratives, stories that
examine historical events, and stories that are primarily used to inform or instruct (Robin, 2008).

Media presentations have become commonplace wherever we go in the internet. Its necessity is
drawn from its quality that simply makes any viewer very engaged with what’s being viewed.
Due to the elements that contribute to its excellent quality, one should not simply neglect the art
of storyboarding.

It is prerequisite to all media activity involving the combination of narration, photos, video, music
and more. Success is deemed attainable once these media elements are perfectly in place.
Quality post-production is simply guaranteed.

A sample storyboard would look like this:

1 2 3

Photos/videos Photos/videos Photos/videos

music music music

narration narration narration

Camera movement Camera movement Camera movement

The sequence could go as many as possible depending on the concept you’re trying to build.

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Prime powerpoint alternatives, on the other hand, for business presentations are Prezi,
Timeline JS, Bunkr, TinderBox, Bidsketch, Business Model Fiddle, and HotGloo.

Whichever application you may want to use, Forbes has indicated the 4th most important
element for a successful business presentation:
“4. Begin Separate Ideas with Powerful Quotations or Images

For more impact, introduce each separate topic or idea with a relevant quotation or
full-screen image that evokes the topic instead of using a stock title slide. Add a word
or two about the topic if you have to, or simply say it out loud and let the quote or
image support it.”

This gives your topic more impact since a strong quote or image will stick in their minds as they
listen to the related material. It also breaks up the presentation, particularly if you have no
choice but to include dry material like sales graphs or bullet points in your PowerPoint
presentation.”

Sometimes stories can be more intriguing when presented with delightful camera movements.
In these texts life is presented in a way that readers can find a striking relationship between
what is described and what he has experienced in life.

Technology has played a great role in translating texts to vivid and moving images that capture
the imagination. They expand the horizon of meaning-making which at first happens in the
reader’s mind.

Learning how to manage the art of filming is one great way to understand one of the basic
elements of communication---mood. Whether in literature or language, this will always play
central to the development of messages put across.

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