Feedback

Feedback is the response or acknowledgement of receiver to the communicators

message. The exchange is possible only if the receiver responds. Even through
fluttering eyelids, raising an eyebrow, making a face, organizing a point and asking
for explanation, the message is shaped and reshaped by the communicator and the
receiver until the meaning becomes clear. In this way both participants in
communication interact and constantly exchange roles. In face-to-face
communication the receiver responds naturally, directly and immediately. This
provides the communicator an opportunity to improve and make his communication
effective. Feedback, thus, provides an opportunity to evaluate what is right or wrong
about a particular communication. It helps to regulate the conversation among two
or more individuals and also stimulates and reinforces an idea that is desired to be
communicated.
Noise
Noise is an interruption that can creep in at any point of the communication
process and make it ineffective. Environment is one major cause that interferes with
message reception: like noises from the roadside, constant chattering of individuals
outside the communication act, blaring loudspeaker, faulty transmission, etc. noise
can occur in other forms also; poor handwriting, heavy accent or soft speech,
communication in a poorly lit room, etc. in fact, these are barriers to effective
communication. For smooth and effective communication, it is necessary to
eliminate or reduce noise as far as possible.
Mass communication:
Any mechanical device that multiplies messages and takes it to a large number of
people simultaneously is called mass communication. The media through which
messages are being transmitted include radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, films,
records, tape recorders, video cassette recorders, etc and require large
organizations and electronic devices to put across the message.
It is clear from the definition that mass communication is a special kind of
communication in which the nature of the audience and the feedback is different
from that of interpersonal communication. An examination of these components will
help in understanding the nature of mass communication itself.
Communication and society:
Human civilization has progressed reasonably well so far largely because human
beings, as a species of the animal kingdom, have learnt to communicate and
cooperate among themselves. There is a consensus that progress would have been
faster if cooperation was always willing and with negligible confrontation and more
co-existence with divergent views. Wars hot or cold, always impede progress. Even
so, humans have moved towards a greater degree of individual freedom in addition
to freedom from hunger, want and illiteracy. Because of reasonably good level of
communication achieved among communities, countries and continents, society is
already talking of the universal rights of everyone on planet earth. These are stated
below:
1 The right to be treated with respect

2 The right to have and express own feelings

3 The right to be listened to and taken seriously
4 The right to set own priorities
5 The right to say no without feeling guilty
6 The right to ask for what one wants
7 The right to get what one pays for
8 The right to get information from professionals
9 The right to make mistakes
10 The right to choose not to assert oneself
A careful examination of the above bills of rights would confirm beyond doubt the
strategic importance of communication in the well being of our modern society.
Communications form the edifice of evolution of entire human civilization. Human
beings as a species have progressed better than other animal species largely
because they have learnt to communicate among themselves better. Human beings
have undertaken many projects jointly because they were able to influence other
persons to a common viewpoint through better communication skills.