Communication and Employability Skills – Assignment 2 – Excerpt

Written Communication

As an example of how encoding of a written communication can be changed in order to convey a different message, both explicitly and implicitly, I looked at articles from two different news outlets reporting on the same event. In an article titled "Cheney defends CIA interrogation techniques, calls Senate report 'deeply flawed'", an unnamed Fox News writer describes the political conflict between ex-vice president of the USA Dick Cheney and Senator Dianne Feinstein regarding the recent senate report on interrogation techniques used by the CIA.

Interpersonal Communication

Video 1: How to Run a Meeting

• Preparation – have an agenda and aims
• Facilitator
• Room layout – equality, superior position of facilitator
• Timing – not on the hour
• Ice-breaking – people comfortable with each other
• Note taking
• 5-minute bell
• Record what's been said and the outcome

Video 2: Meeting from Hell

• Not punctual
• Not paying attention
• Talking over one another
• Facilitator has no control
• Argumentative and unprofessional participants