Chilean Miners Trapped

Knowing Your Audience

Jacqueline Corcoran

BCOM275

November 12, 2012

Kim Hilton

Knowing Your Audience

One of the most important steps in the communication process is knowing your audience. This is important because different users of information or receivers of information require different things. Unfortunately this can become a hefty task because even within a set group, many people as individuals perceive language and communication differently. In the article about the trapped Chilean miners, you have a mixed audience that will be hearing this news. These are different stakeholders mostly internal but some external. The primary individuals affected and there priority level are the trapped miners, miners families, all employees including executives, financial stakeholders, and outside news sources. I include outside news sources because any mining of minerals or metals is a commodity and can have a worldwide impact on the economy; a great example is oil. In recent years we (Americans) as high volume oil consumers have seen the drastic impact that natural disasters, wars, drilling restrictions, and limitations have on the economy and financial markets worldwide. The increasing rate of gasoline prices causes all things to increase with it. Although copper isn’t used in mass consumption as oil. I will note that copper is used in many other materials and could slow down production of other products of the manufacturing industry causing waves in worldwide financial markets. The main people affected by the news will be those that work for the operation and the families of those that are affected by the current situation. It is important to relay current facts, mixed with empathy for all stakeholders, along with future plans to investigate and mitigate the opportunity of future occurrences.

If I was running this company I would immediately call in the next of kin listed for the 33-trapped employees for individual face-to-face meetings. The message would be...