Essay Sample on Managing Communication Issues

Communication is a vital element in the running of any organization. With proper communication both internally and externally, an organization can achieve specific tasks related to specific roles in production, sales, and services. Communication has often become a challenge for many organizations. It is affected by several significant variables such as cultural diversity and group affiliations, coupled with positional differences among the personnel. For effective communication management, there is a need to understand communication within various external environments, such as the media and the various criminal justice entities.

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Advancements in technology have brought a significant difference in the media. Several changes have been problematic to the different organizations, as most of them lose control over their marketing capabilities. Today, consumers are more involved in the communication channels creating two-way communication that is very interactive ("Extra communication challenges in today's media environment," 2014). Marketing messages and advertisements were crafted and communicated over a one-way medium in the past. Today marketers have very little control over their message as compared to the past. Another problem facing the media is the lack of excellent and variable communication tools necessary for any organization. Mediums previously in use are no longer as impactful and as far-reaching as they were in the past. The onset of the internet, together with the innovations, has seen better communication tools such as YouTube and Instagram that are now more in use than radios and televisions that were the foremost mediums in the past ("Extra communication challenges in today's media environment," 2014). The impact of mediums, such as newspapers, magazines, television, has also been significantly reduced.

With the rise in usage of the internet, the use of mainstream media is slowly decreasing. Many people opt to use the internet to buy products, watch the news, and even order food. There is an increase in the number of bloggers and influencers influencing consumers' choices on different social media platforms ("Extra communication challenges in today's media environment," 2014). The media environment is continually changing, and thus organizations, brands, and the public need to adapt to the changing times. There is also a problem with the spread of false information on the internet. False information has a significant effect on how consumers will view and react to a brand. False reviews will influence how the customer will view a product.

In dealing with the communication changes in the media, organizations can use online communication tools to supplement the mainstream media use in advertising their goods and services. Online tools such as social media are very useful in influencing consumer choice. The online tools also influence consumers' perception of the brand primarily because consumers can see comparison sites and reviews from other consumers who have used the product ("Extra communication challenges in today's media environment," 2014). The internet has provided significant tools away from the mainstream media that includes YouTube, social media, bloggers on various websites, and message boards. All these tools can be beneficial to different organizations to deal with the communication gap that has been created in media communication by technology. With the media, adapting to the new media tools and technology, coupled with the internet, is a sure way of resolving the media's communication challenges.

When it comes to criminal justice agencies, law enforcement officers, and other personnel within the profession also encounter various communication problems that affect their ability to communicate with others. In criminal justice, instances of misunderstanding are likely to occur during communication. Bypassing, for instance, occurs when one word has different meanings attached to it. Unfortunately, meanings attached to the word by receiver might not be the one intended by the sender (Doss et al., 2014). Law enforcement is meant to ensure and assist the public in applying the correct meaning of the community's statements. Cultural language barriers also inhibit communication between the public and criminal justice entities such as the police. Different languages affect the efficacy of communication between law enforcement and minority communities. To deal with language indifference, most law enforcement agencies, more so police officers and in courtrooms, hire individuals with fluency in a second language. Knowing the second language is not enough; the officers need to understand and appreciate the particular language (Doss et al., 2014).

The physical environment also affects how information is conveyed by law enforcement officers such as the police. Physical factors such as heat, light, rain, noise distract the officers' attention. Medical conditions also hinder effective communication among personnel in criminal justice agencies and the public. Law enforcement officers may encounter members of the public who are deaf, blind, or even unable to speak (Doss et al., 2014). Such conditions impede the ability of law enforcement officers to communicate effectively.

In some cases, public members offer different accounts of the same event in robberies or car accidents, thereby necessitating the need for officers to carry out investigations, discretion, and wariness. The ability of a police officer to conduct a successful interview is critical in obtaining a successful outcome. Police officers must have a heightened sense of situational awareness ("Communication skills in criminal justice," n.d.).

Malfunctioning technology also significantly affects communication in criminal justice agencies. Radios, cellular cellphones, and other communication devices play an essential role in communication with law enforcement officers. Lack of useful communication devices impairs their ability to work correctly. Criminal justice agencies should ensure they properly train their personnel on handling different cultures and different groups of people, such as minority groups, without necessarily using force but instead communicating effectively (Doss et al., 2014). Other cultures and languages should be incorporated in their workspace; thus, they should hire personnel from different backgrounds.

Similarly, law enforcement officers should be provided with the necessary technological gadgets to communicate efficiently and do their jobs properly. Conclusively, challenges in communication are present in both the media and criminal justice agencies. These problems can effectively be dealt with through proper training and the right technological advancements in both fields.

References

Communication skills in criminal justice. (n.d.). Online Degrees & Programs | Kent State University. https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/sociology/criminal-justice/community/communicating-in-criminal-justice

Doss, D. A., Glover Jr, W. H., Goza, R. A., & Wigginton Jr, M. (2014). Communication in the justice system. The Foundations of Communication in Criminal Justice Systems, 445-474. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17543-18

Extra communication challenges in today's media environment. (2014, September 3). THE Marketing Study Guide. https://www.marketingstudyguide.com/extra-communication-challenges-todays-media-environment/