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Communication

Written Communication

3. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

3.1 THE WRITTEN WORD

3.1.1 Written Compared with Oral Communication

Written correspondence within or between organizations may take

many forms. The crucial difference between oral and written

communications will be the importance attributed to each. Oral

communication will be the basis for almost all negotiations,

liaison, team briefings and project management, but written

communication will be viewed as an endorsement of oral

statements, as having a permanence and contractual status.

Written communication can be used as evidence of previous

discussions and arrangements. It provides the history of a project

or collaboration. It justifies an activity and provides back-up and

proof.

E.g.: Written communication in an organisation is usually

considered to be more conclusive and binding compared to oral

communication.

We attach an enormously high value to written text. Once written

down, words are themselves pinned down, selected, representative,

deliberate, permanent and important in their own right in a way

that effective oral communication can never be.

If we consider graffiti, for example, it has a real permanence that a

joke or throw-away comment could never have. Words are

tangible, independent of their authors. We pay more attention to

even poorly expressed words in textual form than we would ever

give if they were spoken to us. The act of writing renders words

“true”. It is no wonder that copyright law and libel are major

issues of our time.

Written text makes information immediately available to an almost

unlimited audience simply by dint of reproduction. Photocopying

or printing processes can bring news media into our homes every

day which can be referred to again and again.

Whereas oral communication needs to be succinct and clear of

purpose, written communication has the scope to elaborate, to

justify and to...