Written Media

Written media take many forms.

Memos are

• Relatively brief
• Used for routine, day-to-day exchange of information within an organization
• IM, email, blogs and other electronic media have largely replaced paper memos, but they still have a purpose

Letters

• Are relatively brief
• Are used to convey a particular message
• Are used to perform an important public relations function in fostering good working relationships with customers, suppliers, and others
• Can be prepared as form letters to save time and money on routine communication

Reports and proposals are

• Usually longer than letters and memos
• Written in a variety of lengths (ranging from a few pages to several hundred)
• Usually fairly formal in tone

Written media have a number of advantages over oral media:

• Allow you to plan and control your message
• Reach geographically dispersed audiences
• Offer a permanent, verifiable record
• Minimize the distortion that can result from oral and some forms of electronic messages
• Can be used to avoid immediate interactions
• Can help you control the emotional aspects of an interchange by eliminating interpersonal communication

Written media also have a number of disadvantages compared to oral media:

• Offer limited opportunities for timely feedback
• Lack the rich nonverbal cues provided by oral media
• Can require more time and more resources to create and distribute
• Elaborate documents can require special skills in preparation and production