, COM1511
ASSIGNMENT 1 SEMESTER 2
2026
DUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2026
Question 1
1.1 Applying the Shannon–Weaver Communication Model to the Initial Notice
The Shannon–Weaver model, a linear model, can be used to analyse the initial communication
failure. Its elements can be identified as follows:
Sender: The Municipal Communication Department or the official responsible for posting the
notice on the municipality's website is the sender (COM1511, 2026:20).
Message: The message is the notice itself: “Water interruption in Zones 3–7. Restoration is
estimated at 18:00. Updates will follow.” This is the content the sender intends to transmit.
Channel: The channel is the official municipal website, as well as potential channels like the
website's social media pages that shared the link (COM1511, 2026:20).
Receiver: The intended receiver is the general public of the Madiba Park community who need
information about the water supply.
Noise: Several types of noise significantly interfered with the message's reception:
Semantic Noise: The message was only in English, excluding residents who are not proficient
in the language, creating a communication barrier (COM1511, 2026:73).
Psychological Noise: The residents' fear and anxiety about the water crisis, coupled with a
lack of initial detail, hindered their ability to calmly process the limited information
(COM1511, 2026:75).
Physical Noise: This includes the environmental factors impacting the situation, such as the
lack of water and the resulting community stress, as well as the "noise" created by the
subsequent flood of misinformation.
ASSIGNMENT 1 SEMESTER 2
2026
DUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2026
Question 1
1.1 Applying the Shannon–Weaver Communication Model to the Initial Notice
The Shannon–Weaver model, a linear model, can be used to analyse the initial communication
failure. Its elements can be identified as follows:
Sender: The Municipal Communication Department or the official responsible for posting the
notice on the municipality's website is the sender (COM1511, 2026:20).
Message: The message is the notice itself: “Water interruption in Zones 3–7. Restoration is
estimated at 18:00. Updates will follow.” This is the content the sender intends to transmit.
Channel: The channel is the official municipal website, as well as potential channels like the
website's social media pages that shared the link (COM1511, 2026:20).
Receiver: The intended receiver is the general public of the Madiba Park community who need
information about the water supply.
Noise: Several types of noise significantly interfered with the message's reception:
Semantic Noise: The message was only in English, excluding residents who are not proficient
in the language, creating a communication barrier (COM1511, 2026:73).
Psychological Noise: The residents' fear and anxiety about the water crisis, coupled with a
lack of initial detail, hindered their ability to calmly process the limited information
(COM1511, 2026:75).
Physical Noise: This includes the environmental factors impacting the situation, such as the
lack of water and the resulting community stress, as well as the "noise" created by the
subsequent flood of misinformation.
