Chilean Mine Collapse
Knowing Your Audience: The Chilean Mine Collapse
Knowing your audience is an important factor to consider when there is information to be released to a public forum. Special considerations should be taken to ensure that the message is communicated effectively. The sender must recognize any potential barriers to communication that may hinder the audience from receiving the intended message. By recognizing who the audience is composed of, the sender is able to cater the message accordingly. One example of how the importance of knowing your audience can have an impact on the deliverance of a message is the 2010 Chilean mine collapse. On August 5, 2010, a gold and copper mine in northern Chile caved in, trapping 33 miners 2,300 feet below the surface. For a period of 17 days, rescue workers scrambled to determine whether there were any survivors and finally they were able to reach the chamber where the miners were all found alive. The mine’s ventilation shafts allowed fresh air to reach the miners and they drank water from underground storage tanks (Chile Mine Accident, 2011). Food was sent down the tiny bore hole while the rescue workers continued drilling another tunnel with hopes of rescuing the miners as soon as possible. After approximately two months, one of the drills finally reached the miners. The workers were able to create rescue shaft that allowed the miners to be lifted, one by one, out of the mine (Hughes, 2010). Media coverage of the incident provided the watching world with constant updates on the rescue efforts. However, the needs of the family members would likely include access to specific information about the rescue efforts and the condition of the miners. To further reassure the family members of the trapped miners, the owners of the mine had to figure out the best means of communicating effectively and accurately with the already skeptical members of the family. It was important that the owners research who each
Knowing your audience is an important factor to consider when there is information to be released to a public forum. Special considerations should be taken to ensure that the message is communicated effectively. The sender must recognize any potential barriers to communication that may hinder the audience from receiving the intended message. By recognizing who the audience is composed of, the sender is able to cater the message accordingly. One example of how the importance of knowing your audience can have an impact on the deliverance of a message is the 2010 Chilean mine collapse. On August 5, 2010, a gold and copper mine in northern Chile caved in, trapping 33 miners 2,300 feet below the surface. For a period of 17 days, rescue workers scrambled to determine whether there were any survivors and finally they were able to reach the chamber where the miners were all found alive. The mine’s ventilation shafts allowed fresh air to reach the miners and they drank water from underground storage tanks (Chile Mine Accident, 2011). Food was sent down the tiny bore hole while the rescue workers continued drilling another tunnel with hopes of rescuing the miners as soon as possible. After approximately two months, one of the drills finally reached the miners. The workers were able to create rescue shaft that allowed the miners to be lifted, one by one, out of the mine (Hughes, 2010). Media coverage of the incident provided the watching world with constant updates on the rescue efforts. However, the needs of the family members would likely include access to specific information about the rescue efforts and the condition of the miners. To further reassure the family members of the trapped miners, the owners of the mine had to figure out the best means of communicating effectively and accurately with the already skeptical members of the family. It was important that the owners research who each
References: Chile Mine Accident. (2011, October 12). NY times. Retrieved September 9, 2013, from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/chile_mining_accident_2010/index.html Feedback Communication. (n.d.). Management Study Guide - Free Training Guide for Students and Entrepreneurs.. Retrieved September 9, 2013, from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/feedback_communication.htm Hughes, H. (2010, August 22). Chile Miners: 33 Trapped Chilean Miners Found Alive, But Could Be Stuck Four Months - ABC News. ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Latest News & Top Video News - ABC News. Retrieved September 9, 2013, from http://abcnews.go.com/International/33-trapped-chilean-miners-found-alive-stuck-months/story?id=11457872