Communication Channel

We explain what they are and what the communication channels are. Also, the types there are, examples and the function they fulfill.

What is a communication channel?

A communication channel is the physical medium through which a communicative act is carried outthat is, it serves to exchange information between a sender and a receiver.

The presence and availability of this specific medium It is one of the essential elements for the communication circuit to be fulfilled. effectively. It is extremely important, since every act of communication involves the transmission of a message through a physical and concrete element.

For example, at this very moment, the information contained in this text is reaching its readers after having been transmitted on a computer network, using satellite signals, fiber optic cables or Wi-Fi. Therefore, the communication channel that allows this message to be sent and received is the Internet.

In addition to the channel, the elements of communication are the sender, the receiver, the message, the code and the context.

See also: Elements of communication

Types of communication channels

Depending on the participants involved, the communication channels can be:

• Personal or individual channels. They are those in which there are few participants and allow the transmission of messages to be simple. They are bidirectional, meaning that the sender and receiver can exchange roles easily. For example, a chat in which two people talk, constantly exchanging roles.
• Massive or multitudinous channels. They are those that allow a sender's message to reach a large number of receivers at the same time, either directly or on a delayed basis. They are unidirectional, because the roles are not exchanged and the sender is always the same. For example, newspapers, radio and television are mass channels in which the sender, a journalist, transmits a message to many receivers.

Additionally, depending on whether participants need to be in the same place at the same time or not, the channels can be:

• Face-to-face channels. They are those that are used when the sender and the receiver are simultaneously in the same place. For example, the air through which the voices of two people who are talking are transmitted.
• Non-face-to-face channels. They are those that are used when the sender and the receiver are not simultaneously in the same place and, therefore, allow the messages to last over time. For example, the paper on which a book is written.

Finally, depending on the sense used to perceive the message, the channels can be:

• ear canals. They are those that allow messages to be transmitted that are perceived with the ears. For example, the radio, which transmits messages through spoken words.
• Visual channels. They are those that allow messages to be transmitted that are perceived with the eyes. For example, newspapers, which transmit messages through written words.

Examples of communication channels

There are many possible communication channels. Some of them are:

1. The air. In a face-to-face conversation, it allows the voice to travel from one person's mouth to another's ears.
2. The cell phone. It allows one person's voice to reach another who is not in the same place.
3. The radio. It allows you to transmit a message prepared by a journalist for a mass audience.
4. fiber optic. It allows computers that are connected to the Internet to send and receive information.
5. The paper. It allows various written messages, such as letters or newspaper reports, to be transmitted and preserved.
6. The telegraph. It allows you to send and receive messages using a specific code called morse.
7. The email. It allows you to send written messages, files, documents, images, among others, instantly.
8. An instant messaging application. It allows you to establish written conversations simultaneously through a chat.
9. a stone. It allows you to transmit written or drawn messages that are preserved over time.
10. television. It allows audiovisual messages to be transmitted deferred or simultaneously to people located anywhere in the world.

See also: Mass media

What are communication channels used for?

Communication channels are the physical support that allows the communicative act to be carried out. Without them, the transmission of information would be impossible.. This becomes evident when a communication channel malfunctions or does not work, for example, when the telephone is broken and the call is heard poorly.

See also: Communication process

Efficiency of communication channels

A communication channel is more or less efficient based on your ability to convey a message appropriately without it being lost or adulterated along the way.

To evaluate its efficiency, it must be considered that the information must reach the recipient completely in the clearest and most practical way possible. In some cases, it is prioritized that the channel allows the message to be sent instantly, while, in others, it may be more relevant that the information lasts over time or that it reaches multiple recipients.

For example, when a company manager needs an employee to perform a task urgently, the most efficient channel is the telephone, because it allows quick and direct communication. On the other hand, when a company wants to transmit the same message to all employees, an email with several recipients is more efficient than calling each one separately, since the same information reaches everyone at the same time.

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References

• Escandell Vidal, MV (2020). Communication. Language, cognition and society. Akal.
• Filgueira López, E. (1992). Communication channels and acceptance of change in traditional societies. A theoretical proposal. Now, 11(2), 171-178. https://minerva.usc.es/
• Gavidia Anticona, JA (2015). Language and communication. Editions of the U.
• Generalitat Valenciana. (sf). The channel, the code, the context and the registry. Basic competencies II. Castilian. https://ceice.gva.es/
• Jakobson, R. (1974). General linguistics essays. Six Barral.