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Module ? Triggered an appropriate action
7 Effectiveness = Impact achieved

The cost of producing message

9-12 December, 2013 Communication efficiency of a channel means that the maximum number of recipients has been
reached per unit cost

Number of recipients reached
Efficiency =
The cost of producing message

In each case, the communication must be tailored to the target audience. In countries like
Norway, which has the highest number of daily newspapers per capita, people read newspapers
extensively?

In other places, like Uzbekistan, they are more avid radio listeners. Radio, Television, and newspapers are
widely appreciated as an effective mean for communication in most of West Asia countries. Age, social
status and level of education all play roles.

Information may reach its target audience directly: people buy books in a bookstore, borrow at a library,
receive a briefing note in the mail, or download a map from the Internet. In other cases, information
reaches its audience through media channels. The environmental information rarely is trivial. It is very
complex: those who receive briefing notes might also be exposed to newspaper headlines, but they

may not have a time to download a map. Information received from different sources on the same issue
may be conflicting or highlight different angles of the problem, requiring active construction of meaning
by the audience.

Even though the most effective and powerful communication channels are newspapers, radio and
television; this should not limit you from trying to attract people’s attention through additional
communications channels. There are many direct channels, like information centres open for the public,
e.g., ENFO in Ireland (www.enfo.ie), which provides public access to wide-ranging and authoritative
information; environmental bookstores and ordinary bookstores, online bookstores (like www.
earthprint.com), libraries, and the Internet. Be innovative in your tactics, and utilize community fora,

theatre, music, dialogues or meetings as alternative means.

Each channel has its strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it is advisable to use a combination of channels,
choosing some that offset weaknesses of others.

20 Creating Communication Outputs from the Assessment