Definition of Communication

> imparting or exchanging of information or news

https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+communication&oq=definition+of&aqs=chrome .

>communication" refers to all the means that serve to bind human beings together,

especially through the spread of information by mass media such as the internet, radio,
television, press, and motion pictures; in a philosophical sense, it refers to the
process of intellectual intercourse between .
https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/communication-
philosophy

Elements of Communication
1.  Source

The source is the person (or thing) attempting to share information.   The source can be a living or
non-living entity.  The only qualifications necessary for a source are an origin of information (in
Information Theory, the source generates data that one would like to communicate) and an ability to
transmit this information, through a channel, to a receiver.

2.  Message
At first glance, the message is simply the information you want to communicate.  But it goes deeper
than that.  Communication theorists examine messages from a semiotic perspective (the study of
signs and symbols, and how meaning is created through them; note: it is not the study of meaning,
just how meaning is created).  For example, a commencement speaker produces meaning through
several criteria.  First, there is the object (in this case, the speaker has an inherent meaning, maybe
through being a local celebrity or famous alum).  The second criterion would be his or her image,
acting as a symbol or representation of the meaning of the object (a well-dressed, professional and
successful person).  The third criterion is interpretation or derived meaning.  If the object and image
(and, in this case, speech) are successful, then the audience will leave with an understanding of how to
proceed toward a life of personal fulfillment.
3.  Encoding
Encoding is the process of assembling the message (information, ideas and thoughts) into a
representative design with the objective of ensuring that the receiver can comprehend it. 
Communication is only established when it results in both the source and the receiver understanding
the same information.  People who are great communicators are great encoders; they know how to
present their message in a way that their audience (receivers) can easily understand.  They are also
able to identify information that is superfluous, irrelevant or even accidentally offensive, and
eliminate it in advance through anticipation.
4.  Channel

An encoded message is conveyed by the source through a channel.  There are numerous channel
categories: verbal, non-verbal, personal, non-personal, etc.  A channel could be the paper on which
words are written, or the Internet acting in the client-server model that is allowing you to read these
words right now.

A good communicator is one who understands which channels to use under different circumstances.  
Unfortunately, there is no perfect channel.  All channels have strengths and weaknesses
(smartphones are great, for example, but a marriage proposal is best done in person).
5.  Decoding
Now would be an appropriate time to remind yourself that you can just as easily fill the role of
decoder as you can encoder.  This is where listening, and reading directions carefully, makes its claim
to fame—decode with care, my friends.  As we discussed in Encoding, communication is only
successful when it results in both the source and the receiver understanding the same information . 
For this to happen, there can be no errors in processing.  The most common among these would be,
for example, a first-grader sitting in on a lecture on differential equations, i.e. decoding is impossible
if the decoder cannot even understand the message.
6.  Receiver

Ultimately, the message is delivered to the receiver.  A good communicator takes the receivers
preconceptions and frames of reference into consideration; how they will react, where common
ground is shared, their sense of humor, their moral conduct, etc.  All of these things will affect how the
receivers decode messages.

7.  Feedback

A better word might be “reaction” or “responses.”  The source judges its success based on the feedback
it receives, so pay close attention.  If Google’s servers crashed tomorrow, there would be a lot of
confused sources.  The same would be true if you delivered a flawless marriage proposal, only to
receive a look of bewilderment and horror.  And then there are famous marketing nightmares, such
as Aqua Teen Hunter Force’s LED signs that were mistakenly identified as explosive devices. 
Feedback is the moment of reckoning.  Whether things go right or wrong, it serves as one of the most
important learning opportunities we have.

https://blog.udemy.com/elements-of-communication/

Level of Communication
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication refers to the use of symbols in the form of spoken words to transmit
messages. Verbal communication is complicated by the fact that language is arbitrary, meaning
that words change over time; ambiguous, meaning that many words lack clear-cut meanings;
and abstract, meaning that words are not the phenomena to which they refer. Thus,
miscommunication occurs when the meaning we attach to a word changes with time, when a
word lacks a clear-cut, precise meaning or when words are used that are too general. For
example, the word "love" is a very imprecise term; one person's definition of love may differ
substantially from another person's.
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication refers to the use of symbols other than words to transmit messages.
It includes gestures, body language, how we utter words, aspects of our environment that
influence meaning and objects such as jewelry, furniture and clothing that send people
messages about ourselves. Research suggests that nonverbal communication constitutes
anywhere between 65 and 93 percent of all human communication. Just like words, nonverbal
symbols are ambiguous. What is a polite gesture to one person may be considered rude by
another person. Certain forms of nonverbal communication may also have different meanings
in different cultures. For example, direct eye contact is appropriate in U.S. society but
considered disrespectful in many Asian countries.
Intrapersonal Communication
Intrapersonal communication is also known as self-talk or thinking, and refers to the ways we
communicate with ourselves. We use intrapersonal communication to plan our lives, rehearse
scenarios before we act them out, and tell ourselves what to do or not do. The way we
communicate with ourselves greatly affects our self-esteem. A person who tells himself, "I'm so
stupid" when he fails an exam will likely have poorer self-esteem than someone who thinks, "I
did really well on the previous four exams. I must have just been having an off day, and I'll do
better next time."
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is the communication we have with other people. This type of
communication varies from highly impersonal to extremely personal. The degree to which we
communicate, or fail to communicate, with others influences how our relationships with them
develop, continue or come to an end.
Public Communication
Public communication refers to public speeches that we deliver in front of audiences. Public
communication serves three main purposes: to entertain, to persuade and/or to inform. It is
different from other forms of interaction in that it requires greater levels of planning and
preparation on the part of the speaker and involves less direct interaction. Audience members
still interact with the speaker via mostly nonverbal symbols, but there is a lesser degree of give
and take than there is in one-on-one conversations.
Mass Communication
Mass communication refers to any type of media that is used to communicate with mass
audiences. Examples of mass media include books, television, radios, films, computer
technologies, magazines and newspapers. Although mass communication does include certain
computer technologies, it does not include technologies like email that are used to
communicate one-on-one with someone. Mass communication is responsible for giving us
views of events, issues and people from cultures that differ from ours. It enables us to learn
what is going on in distant places in the world and lets us learn the viewpoints of people and
cultures with whom we do not have direct contact.
http://intranet.tdmu.edu.ua/data/kafedra/internal/i_nurse/lectures_stud

Functions of Communication
•Inform

•Persuasion
•motivate

Ritual model of Communication

The ritual view of communication is acommunications theory proposed by James W.
Carey, wherein communication–the construction of a symbolic reality–represents,
maintains, adapts, and shares the beliefs of a society in time.