POLITICAL UNPRECEDENTED HAPPENINGS IN GHANA

Strange things happened in the year 2012 and I would like to take this opportunity to update you on some of the unprecedented things that  that occurred this year. We have been through a lot as a nation. The year carried with it a lot of good as well as bad things. My year of unprecedented happenings started with the death of a sitting president. For the first time in Ghana, a sitting president died and his vice president was sworn in on the same day. His Excellency John Evans Atta Mills passed on the baton to his vice president John Dramani Mahama, on the 24^th of July after a short illness at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra. A lot of people wish to be president of this country one day, but how many have their dreams come through. His Excellence John Dramani Mahama now president elect of Ghana, left home for the office as a vice president in the morning; and returned home as the president of Ghana. Something that was unprecedented in this country. I must commend Ghanaians for the way they came together to give the late president Mills a befitting burial.

Another unprecedented thing that happened in this country, was the visit of the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Danquah  Akuffo Addo to the residence of ex. President Rawlings. His visit to the ex. President was to discuss issues that will ensure free and fair elections in the December polls. He also discussed matters that would ensure that Ghana will remain peaceful during and after the elections. This was the first time an opposition party has held a meeting with the other party to discuss matters like this. Again, I will take this opportunity to thank Nana Addo for such an act.  Some people however found it difficult to accept such kind gestures from the opposition as politics as usual is full to tricks. This was an unprecedented thing in the year 2012.

Still on politics, the political scene was taken over by one man called Hassan Ayariga. The presidential candidate of the PNC became a popular figure due to his jovial nature. We cannot bring the curtains of 2012 down without talking about Hasaan Ayariga. Indeed he changed the face of politics in Ghana from a rigid one to a much flexible one. When politicians mount the stage, they all talked seriously on the issues at hand.

Ayariga treated matters with a lot of flexibility and still managed to send his message across to Ghanaians.  He became the talk of the day and others could not help but design a mixture called “Ayaricough” in his honor. The year 2012 will always remember you Mr. Hassan Ayariga for your immense contribution of jokes and laughter that you placed on the faces of Ghanaians. This was unprecedented.

The unprecedented year did only take away a president but also a vice president, leaving Ghana with no living vice president. Former vice president of Ghana, your Excellence Alhaji Aliu Mahama died after he was taken ill and hospitalized at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. Another beloved son of the land is gone and we seem to have lost all our former vice presidents.

Share your thoughts with me by writing the unprecedented things that happened in the year twenty 2012 which is not stated.

DO YOU AGREE THAT WOMEN ARE STEREOTYPED?

Using examples from local television programs and advertisements examine, “whether women are stereotype?” (Cardwell, 1966) Stereotype is defined as a fixed over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. Many have accepted a belief based on the people involved.In Ghana, the Ewes are attributed to spiritual medicines, while the Gas’ are generalized to be radical people. The Krobo’s are also known for engaging in prostitution. This is something that has gone on for a long time and has eventually become a representation of the people. The media presentations of these tribes or people have played a vital role in these representations.Representation therefore refers to the way in which ideas, objects, people, groups and life forms are depicted by the mass media. In an attempt to find out whether women are stereotype or not, I took into consideration, some local television programmes and advertisements..On Saturday, the 10^th of November 2012, at 5pm, I observed a programme on TV3 network hosted by Babiee. The title of the programme created internal wrangles as to whether it was true or not, but universally accepted. The title of the programme is “Hot Gossip”. It is universally accepted that women are naturally gossips. This is the perception created when two or more ladies gather at one place to discuss an issue.The programme looked at stories, gossip or rumors naturally relating to people. Babiee, speculated that Nigerian artists, P. square had killed their mother. This hot gossip is linked to the notion that, the two brothers committed the ordeal after producing a clip with Rick Ross who happens to be a member for the free mason group. The story is actually false based on a statement released by the two brothers in response to the rumors going on in the media.The programme “Hot gossip” also covered a story on an American hip-hop artist Snoop Dog. Reports from the programme say, he had changed his name to Snoop Lion after several killing scandals. The programme which is also hosted by a woman had already created the impression that, indeed women are gossips and good at fabricating stories.Indeed, I could not agree more with (Cardwell: 1996) that stereotype becomes a fixed over generalized idea or belief about a particular group of people. Even though some of the stories on the programme “Hot Gossip” were discarded by the people involved, some happened to be true. A story about Ghanaian hip-life artist Samini making a claim that, Rastafarians who eat meat should not be accepted as Rastafarians. Though this is a rumor from the camp of some ladies, it is true. I therefore believe that the perception about ladies being gossips is true. In the olden days, women were relegated to the kitchen. The “Onga Food Tour” was also shown on TV3 network and was hosted by Moon, a woman. The program was aired on Sunday the 10^th of November 2012, at 5:30pm. The thirty minutes programme was hosted in the Brong Ahafo region, Berekum to be precise.The person invited to prepare the meal was a woman. The representation and history of the programme revealed to me that, only women were invited to cook on the programme.The stereotype that, women are good when it comes to cooking cannot be erased. Some people can therefore not discard the notion that a woman’s place is always in the kitchen.The programme enlightened us to accept the idea that, women are the best when it comes to cooking. You can try and argue about this fact, but the ladies are good when it comes to cooking. Some are also worst. Linking the “Onga food tour” programme to the “Onga shrimp” advert, women are always the people in the kitchen cooking. This caused me to accept the fact that, it is women’s responsibility to cook in the house.A good view at “Kiss” advert, clearly shows that the young man and woman were not married. In the first scene, the young woman portrayed a character of rejection of the young man, who may be the boyfriend for not having a condom. But after the young man was advised to use “kiss” condom, the young woman was satisfied after sex and seen to be very happy in the next scene. The advert therefore confirms the stereotyped perception that, women are always happy when their men are able to satisfy them sexually. Is that true? In an attempt to look at whether women are stereotypes, I considered the “Maggie” spaghetti advert. In this advert, a woman was cooking whilst her husband watched a football match on television. When the food was well cooked, the man was served but his concentration was still on the football match. The facial expression on the woman’s face showed that, she was not happy with her husband’s behavior  The man switched off the television set and suddenly the woman smiled and sat next to him. I can vehemently say that women are stereotyped and will always like their husbands to concentrate on them when it comes to issues concerning them.The media, through various means stereotypes women.  From the television programs and adverts elaborated, women were being fixed in a permanent character; through gossip, always in the kitchen cooking, requesting for sexual satisfaction in bed and feeling bad when their husbands reject their cooked meals. These acts in nature are common to all genders; males and females, but why then should the media represent women in such a manner? This type of stereotype has gone on for so many years and is now a representation of women. Have your say on this topic. 

THE SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON ADVERTISING IN GHANA.

The environmental influence refers the uncontrollable factors which gets involve in organizations activities when such organizations are developing marketing strategies. There are many environmental influences that have had magnificent impact on advertising here in Ghana. Some factors of environmental influences are demographics, economics, socio-cultural, technological and political.

Socio-cultural environmental influence and its impact on advertising in Ghana, is the focus of this work. This factor also affects consumer purchase decision making. The social and culture, which forms the socio-cultural influence refers to the way of life of people living in a particular environment. Culture influences consumers through their language, customs, attitude, lifestyle and values. Environmental influences over the years have not had tremendous impact on advertising than in recent times.

The first, which is language, has had an impact on advertising in Ghana. In Ghana, the print media uses only English language to advertise products. The electronic media however, are well known for using local and foreign languages in advertising. Due to this, advertiser are very are careful of the language used in advertising their product. This particular environmental influence has forced advertisers in Ghana to use a common language that is understood by many for advertising. In a Ga community for example, if a product like “nku” is advertised on the radio or television, consumers of that product will understand the marketer. If the same product is advertised in an Ewe community, there will be a problem. This is because “nku” means shea butter in Ga language but the same word connotes eyes in the Ewe language. The use of language has influenced advertising in Ghana since consumers must understand the use of the product, its benefits and functions before they make a purchase. This is the nature of the Ghanaian market and advertisers are always studying the environment for changes.

Another socio-cultural environmental influence is custom, which affects products and services that people buy. Custom refers to the norms or traditions of people living in a particular area. In some environments or communities in Ghana, people dislike certain products due to their custom. According to the customs, many Muslim communities in Ghana will purchase a commodity like scarf, since the women of that religion covers their head all the time. This forms part of the environmental influence that plays a role when organizations are developing their marketing strategy.  It has therefore had an impact on the advertising in Ghana. Another example is the custom of the Gas which prevents the playing of music for a period of time. Advertisers can therefore not create awareness of music in that community, since it will go against the customs of the land. It is a period where noise making is prohibited. This is the level of influence that custom has on adverting in Ghana.

In our Ghanaian society, cultural values are really respected in a lot. Culture is the way of life of people living in a particular community. Marketers are therefore very careful about the environmental influence since its impact of advertising is great. This is considered because it may be for or against the culture of the people. A clear example of impact by culture on advertising in Ghana is the absence of nudity in advertising in Ghana. Though the adverts are still persuasive enough to attract the attention of consumers and customers, mannerisms are considered. Products like contraceptives are advertised in the Ghanaian media with all decency exhibited. This has created a strong impact on advertising in Ghana.

Another factor that has had an impact on advertising in Ghana is Religion. This is done by monitoring society in order to identify areas where new opportunities are available. In Ghana, all the adverts are carefully looked at in terms of the images that are used for the advert. For example, advertisers consider the kind of society they find themselves before they create awareness of a product like Bible. Some religious societies don’t take alcoholic beverages. Therefore, its goes against their religion to purchase that product. Some religious communities do not allow their members to watch certain adverts to avoid rebellion against the religion. It’s evident that advertising plays on our emotions and cause many people to do or practice what they see or hear in the media. The impact of Religion on advertising is so strong and cannot be overlooked by advertisers.

Advertising in Ghana is heavily characterized by moral standards. It is an offence to many people in Ghana to see or hear of adverts that speaks against their moral teachings.

The socio-cultural environmental influence helps advertisers to identify threat and eliminate them. 

ROLE OF TELEVISION PERSONNEL

Quoting authorities and sitting examples , I discussed the role of personnel involved in television production

 Television is a communication device that sends visual messages through a medium accompanied by sounds to an audience.

 Television personnel basically refer to the people involved in the production process of television. These are the people who make it a reality for us to watch programs such as sports, entertainment, news and the like on television. Without these personnel, there would be nothing like television production in this country. There are two types of television personnel in the production process; these are technical and non technical personnel. Some technical production personnel are the camera operator, studio supervisor, floor manager, audio technician and the list goes on whilst non technical personnel also include the director, executive producer producers, assistant producers and the like.

       Now let’s go deeper and find out what television personnel do or the role they perform to make television a reality. First on the list is the Director. The name even says it all, he directs, controls the affairs of the production. On (p 392) of Zettl’s Television Production Handbook, he described the director as the one who produces the pictures and sounds that convey the intended message clearly; and can effectively recognize a scripts essential qualities and selects the elements that help to interpret it for a particular audience. The director exhibits artistic, psychological, coordinating and technical characteristics during production. Being artistic is to be creative and develops quality pictures and sound for the set. Playing the role of a psychologist enables him to get members to work as a team. This characteristic of the director is a broad one which is embedded in his role. The director does not ridicule anybody who makes a mistake but identifies problems and suggests solutions to them. He above all is to treat all members involved in the production with respect and can be firm, precise, assign specific functions to every member and must not be harsh. The director plays some roles such as working on shooting schedules with the production manager and also directs the performance of talents. It does not end there, but continues to supervise the camera crew and the editors. In drama for example, some directors can be hard as nails. The director is answerable to the producer since he is an employee of the producer of the project.

      In television production, an Assistant Director or (AD) is employed to assist the director. This person is equally important to the production of television. The assistant director assists the director in the control room by reading camera shots. The director is the one who instructs the camera man on the type of shots to take. The assistant then monitors the shots and its quality for the production.

       Another director who comes in to assist the director in the control room is the Technical Director or (TD). The technical director is to control or supervise the camera men and ensure proper lighting of the place for the production. He or she uses the switcher to switch out over the air. To sum it up, we can say that he coordinates the technical aspect of the production.

        The Executive Producer possesses ultimate authority when it comes to projects. This is the “bank” behind the project. The executive producer pays wages of all workers involve in the production. Money for the acquisition of materials needed for production is provided by the executive producer who is termed as the manager.

       According to Mike Crisp, the Producer is the overall financial controller of the production in smaller companies. Someone may say he or she produces, but what exactly does he/she produce aside financing the project? He is in charge of the whole production and responsible for all personnel working on the production. The role of the producer is basically to hire people for the production. If hiring alone is his only job, then his role would be easy to play. After hiring or getting the people to work with, he becomes responsible for them by providing accommodation for these people till the end of the production. In a situation whereby the talents would have to go to a place far away from their home, the producer ensures that there is a place for the talent or the performer to sleep, Food to eat and is well taken care of. How well the production crew is treated will make them to put in maximum efforts to ensure the success of the production. The role of the producer does not end here but goes on to draw up production schedules and get everybody to the production site. Transporting members of the production to location, whether by air or land is enough to motivate the entire crew to deliver as you expect. if personnel are going to drive all the way from their homes to shooting sites, will sometimes arrive late and tired to give their best. This makes the role of the producer very significant. The producer prepares the script and assembles all inputs necessary for the show- David Ghartey Tagoe. After writing the script, the producer expects his script to be developed. The producer of the most watched television series “Chorkor Trotro” for example, can sack the director if he does not go according to the script he (producer) has written. The producer is answerable to the executive producer at the end of productions.

      Like the director, the producer also has his assistant. The Production Assistant or (PAs) is employed to help the director and producer. The role of this personnel is to help in the preparation of the script and prepares the paper work for all aspects of the production. Zettl described his role as remote operations.

      The next key personnel brought on board by the producer is the Talent. This personnel has three characteristics which are actors, performers and announcers. The talent actor portrays someone else on camera while performer talent appears on camera in a non dramatic activity. The announcer talent reads narration but does not appear on camera.

      In the definition of television above, it’s stated that television is accompanied by sound. These are audio sounds controlled by the Audio Technician. Primarily responsible for the use and control of mikes during production. It’s this personnel who can tell which mike would best suit the program. Mixing the audio for the program is also a job for this man to perform. The audio technician can also create special effects in sound during the production of certain programs such as sit-com.

The Studio Manager is the personnel who represent the director on the studio floor during a telecast-David Ghartey Tagoe. In production, the director cannot risk being picked up by the microphones when giving instructions to talents. With the help of headsets, the director can give information to the studio manager also known as the Floor Manager to relay the message to the talents. On our visit to the studios of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation last year, I witnessed that the floor manager was cueing the performers when they were on air. I also realized that he was trying to avoid being caught on camera or coming in front of the camera constantly reminding the talents about time they had left. The floor manager communicates to talents on the show in hand sign language since his or her voice can be picked up by the microphones.

       The director and producer all have personnel to assist them. The same applies to the floor manager who has people called Floor Persons or Strange hands to assist him in the production.

       Other personnel cannot be ruled out in the production process is the Editor. His role is performed after the shooting. The editor makes sure that the video and audio recordings blend the segment. The editor’s performance of editing to the success of a production is far greater than most people realize. This is done to remove or filter the video or sound recorded for viewer’s consumption. David Rising argued, that editing is done to condense filtered materials that are interesting, exciting and fits the producer’s specifications. The editor can therefore make or unmake a production.

       The Lighting Director comes in as the next personnel to ensure that the lighting of the studio is done well to promote the success of the production. The lighting production gives the overall look of the production and the director sees to it. This personnel is also responsible for arranging the lighting equipment, sets up the light and checks the light for the shoot. In the studios of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, we were told that lighting the place for a program is very technical. Some lights are very bright and they produce a whether to use of heat, but it’s the duty of the lighting director to know a thousand watts or six hundred and fifty watts of light.

       Before a talent appears on camera, a Makeup Person is required to help with cosmetics. He takes care of the talents and makes sure that they look good before appearing in front of the camera. The makeup person does not only concentrate on the face on the talents alone but on their hair as well.

       Camera Operator cannot be forgotten as television personnel. They work with the director, lighting director and the audio technician to prepare the set for each shot. This is more than just operating the cameras. Camera operators mount cameras for shots and ensure its technical quality. For better shots, the camera operator works hand in hand with the lighting director to make his work simple and ensure quality pictures. They also perform various and special camera movements like zooming in and out. On air, he can dolly, pan, truck and tilt the camera to give viewers a quality pictures on television. The camera operator however does not take shots at will, but is instructed on the type of shots to take by the director. The success of the production can depend on the camera man’s focus on taking good and quality shots during the production process.  

       Television personnel are a lot and involve the Video Recorder Operator who operates the video recording equipment. Monitoring the video quality is his job to satisfy the viewer on the director’s specifications.

       Set Designer is charged with designing the set for the shoot. This personnel can manipulate colors to suit the program. In designing the set, the set designer takes into consideration the program before designing for the shoot. A designer cannot design a set depicting celebration when the shot is about the death of somebody. This was confirmed by personnel at The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation during my visit to the studio.  

       To promote consistency when it comes to shots taking and scenes, a Continuity Secretary is employed to take notes of the production process. If the shooting of the program cannot be completed in a day, he/she can tell the director where they stopped the last time. This enables the director to remain on track.

       Before the whole show kicks off, personnel appointed to put the ideas on paper. Writer is the personnel responsible for writing the scripts for the program.

       The next personnel is the Gaffer, who is described by Jeremy Orlebar as the chief electrician. In the course of the production, he can be fixing broken down equipment to enhance the efficiency of the program. The gaffer is not allowed to operate any of the equipments but handles light instruments, cables and other electrical equipments.

       The Microphone Boom or Grip Operator is responsible for moving equipments to the shooting sites or unto the set. The personnel also known as the Stage Hand knows very well where particular equipment should be placed for quality caption.

       Character Generator (CG) is the personnel who is also important when it comes to television production. Its role is to produce quality graphics during and after the production. During interviews or live events, he or she identifies important personnel and the identity revealed on the screen of our television. At the end of every production, the character generator rolls credits on the screen. This shows the importance of every member to the production process.

       Video Engineer is the personnel who repair the video equipments during and after production. The appropriate maintenance of the production materials is also part of his job. It takes extensive training in electronics for a video engineer to operate equipments used in master control operations and transmission by satellites or any other medium.

       In the view of Jeremy Orlebar, Runners who are parts of television personnel, runs for anything anybody wants. They are also charged with errands to make tapes and deliver scripts to other personnel of the production. Runner is the lowest job in the television production.

Referees:

            Olebar, J.(2002) Digital Television Production: Arnold a member of the Hodder Headline Group.

            Crisp, M.(1998) Directing Single Camera Drama: Focal Press Limited.

             Zettl, H.(2003) Television Production Handbook: Thomson Wadsworth Publishing Company.

             Rising, D.(1997) Film, Video ,Photography: Kogan Page Limited.          

                                     

      

     

       

               

FIH WORLD LEAGUE DAY 1

The Federation of International Hockey (FIH) World League Round 1, commenced at the national hockey Stadium in Accra. Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana are competing for the sole ticket, to qualify for the second round of the world league next year.
In the ladies division or match, host nation Ghana defeated Nigeria 2-0 to stay confident ahead of today's clash. It was an impressive performance from the Ghanaian ladies as Sasu Linda and Tenkorang Nkansah both scored in each half, to grab the necessary points for Ghana. An FIH umpire, Mr Richmond, expressed his joy after the game. He said that,"he was very impressed by the ladies" and went ahead to thank the fans who came in their numbers to support the team.
The National Hockey team, the Black Sticks, also defeated the Niger flickers of Nigeria 3-0 in  a mouth watering clash. David Gab Blah put team Ghana in front, with just seven minutes played in the first half. The physical fitness of the players, as reiterated by coach Winfred Sackey, played a huge role as the Black Sticks came into the second half to score two additional goals. This time around, captain of the side, Ebenezar Frimpong scored in the 23rd minute mark, before Baah Shadrack also scored in the dying minutes of the game.
The match is won and preparations are already underway to prepare the team ahead of their clash against the Egyptian power house on Sunday.



                                                                                                                SAMUEL ANSAH BARNOR.

FANS AT THE STADIUM

                                                       

                                                                    

 Ghanaians love sports, especially football. This has brought our country together in so many ways. When the twenty two million coaches (Ghanaians) gather to put their heads together, then there is a football match. This can be seen during the per-match and post match game involving the Black Stars. Many feature articles have been published about the number of spectators who grace a football match during league matches. I was however overwhelmed to see thousands of fans gracing the Tema Sports stadium. Journalist on the day had a torrid time entering the stadium due to the large number present. 

    King faisal fc took on Sekondi Hasaacas in a final play offs to determine who picks the final slot availlable to participate in the 2012/2013 Glo Premier League.  One cannot overlook the presence of experienced policemen who were also positioned at vantage points to ensure order on the day. For a very long time, fans have not been to stadia in their numbers like they did on this day, the 29th of August,2012. The decision by the Division One League Board (DOL) to host the match at the Tema Sports Stadium was a bad one. 

    Things became a bit difficult for the police, who later put up professional tactics to control the crowd. I take this opportunity to appeal to fans who do not want to come to the stadium, for one reason or the other to reconsider. We can also do well to promote our league. Football has united us in the past and it still unites us. Remember that,it's only a united that can win a match, but if the team is divided, they will concede more goals than ever thought of.

                                                                          By: Samuel Ansah Barnor.

HOCKEY NEWS

                                                           HOCKEY NEWS

THE INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY FEDERATION WORLD LEAGUE ROUND ONE, WHICH WILL BE HOSTED BY GHANA WILL HIT OFF TODAY AT THE NATIONAL HOCKEY PITCH IN ACCRA. THE THREE DAY TOURNAMENT WILL SEE, THE GHANA NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM, THE BLACK STICKS WILL LOG HORNS WITH THEIR NIGERIAN COUNTERPARTS LATER IN THE EVENING. THE HEAD COACH OF THE NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM, WINFRED SACKEY SAID, "THE TEAM HAS BEEN PREPARING FOR ABOUT EIGHT TO TEN WEEKS NOW AND HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE". THE BUILD UP TO THIS TOURNAMENT HAS BEEN SWIFT AND SUCCESSFUL AND COACH SACKEY IS OPTIMISTIC AHEAD OF THE THREE DAY TOURNAMENT. COACH SACKEY REITERATED THAT, HIS TEAM IS READY.

FIXTURES FOR THE HOCKEY WORLD LEAGUE ROUND 1

1ST ROUND BOBIN.

7TH SEPTEMBER 2012, 6:15 PM

GHANA VERSUS NIGERIA

2ND ROUND ROBIN

8TH SEPTEMBER 2012, 6:15 PM

EGYPT VERSUS NIGERIA

3RD ROUND ROBIN

9TH SEPTEMBER 2012, 4:15 PM

GHANA VERSUS EGYPT
                       
                                           
                                                                                                   BY: SAMUEL ANSAH BARNOR

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOURSELF

                   

                                                         4TH JUNE 2012

           Self is an individual person as the object of his/her own reflective consciousness. Self concept is the self-perception or view you have of yourself. Perception is the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting sensory date in a way that enables us to make sense of our own words. Self concept is everything you think and feel about yourself. While you are not born with a self concept, you certainly do develop one. David Barnlund argued that, “individuals conduct themselves through relationships they have, they wish to have or perceive themselves as having”. It always involves the relationship between people or their genuine idea of themselves. In intrapersonal communication, we know that self tries to understand and share meaning.

           Based on David Barnlund’s argument on the six (6) person communication idea.The first argument which is “how you view yourself ”can be influenced by how you are now, how you were in the past and how you perceive yourself to be in the future; which can be termed as the ideal self. “Part of knowing who we are, is knowing we are not someone else”, as quoted by Miller Authur.People turn to be products of how others treat them, and the messages they receive from others. Someone may be perceived to be a quiet person and another talkative like some presenters. The perceived self concept of communication helps the individual to understand how he/she sees him/herself to be. An individual describing him/herself would give so many details, but lays more emphasis on his/her character. It helps the individual view him/herself before communicating with another person. During communication you view yourself, and understand viewing you using the artistic self concept by being creative. Hence, the artistic, perceive and the ideal self concept influences communication between two parties.

            How you view the other person was the second communication idea argued by David Barnlund. People always perceive others in different manners and can be either positive or negative. The intellectual self concept enables us to inquire to learn more about other people’s behavior. The way you view people don’t have effect on them. People try to expose themselves when interacting with others, which is considered as the social self. In other words, the social self helps you to view the other individual during communication. Perceiving an individual’s idea is a very difficult task because some individuals have certain things that they don’t disclose to others which refers to the person’s private self. We at times consider one or two things about people and draw final conclusion. An example is when a gentleman has interest in a beautiful lady and takes notice of her features and characteristic. He is then encouraged to enter into a relationship with her. During courtship, the lady’s real self makes the guy to notice her bad character and decides to quit the relationship. We should therefore not be inventors of people’s perception because it can influence communication between them and us can be influenced.

            Communication can be influenced on “how you believe the other person views you”. Some people don’t like to give a wrong impression and are very cautious of what they do and say during communication process. “First impression they say counts a lot”, and how the other person views you is very important. In communication, before an individual develops trust for the other person, it depends on certain things. This includes the mood, the tone, choice of words and also the way they respond to each other during communication. Each of the argument or case of discussion is unknown to the individual, through the just mentioned evidences; one can draw the attention of the other. One can use his/her knowledge acquired to make people trust him/her. People just believe others because of their place of work and also develop a whole truth for others through the feelings they have for them. This can affect communication either positively or negatively. I am a gentleman, smart and hardworking.  A lady in my class admires me so much. One day, the unexpected happened when she witnessed me in fight with somebody. I have just exhibited my real self which is very difficult to know. Now I don’t know the lady’s perception of me, and this has influenced my communication with her.

           “ How the other person views him/herself” cannot be left out as a communication idea of Barnlund’s argument. In our definition of self from the beginning, we mentioned about intrapersonal communication where the self tries to understand and share message internally or within one self. It relates to self talk, which is the mental process of understanding and sharing meaning within the self. A misunderstanding between a passenger and a conductor of a bus transpired on my way home from school. The passenger was counting on the driver to intervene in the dispute, raised his head and saw the inscription written behind the driver,“Respect my office”. The statement clearly showed the professional and real self of the driver of the bus. This influenced communication in the bus and the passenger assesses and views himself without the driver interfering.

            “How the other person views you”, was another point argued by David Barnlund has a person communication idea. William Fadie said, “We have time to hear, but not to listen”. In communication, one must pay attention in order to get the picture in the message during interaction. A boy who likes to play tricks decided to do so to an old man. Hiding a bird in his palm behind him, he asked the old the old man to tell whether the bird is alive or dead. The old man questioned himself and answered saying, “the life of the bird is in your hands”. The public self of the old man is disclosed in this public situation whilst the real self of the boy is also disclosed. Communication becomes influence because the old man views the other, which is the boy.

              The final point argued by David Barnlund on the communication person idea was “how the other person believes you view him/her”. A clear example can be, a secretary given some amount of money by an accountant for the acquisition of accessories and documents. Her physical self, which includes the concept of her own body and physical attractiveness, influenced her. She uses the money on cosmetics and the rest on only the accessories. Later, her emotional self takes over and she realizes her mistake and felt sorry. The accountant makes no comment on the issue for a week. In a general meeting, she couldn’t stop wondering how the accountant views her and communication between them becomes influenced.

              The above excerpt, vividly explains how the six (6) person communication idea argued by Barnlund related to the eleven person self can influence the various forms of communication.

             References:

1.      Gamble, T. and Gamble M (1996) Communication works

2.      McCutcheon, R. and Schaffer, J. (1994) Communication matters.