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Understanding the Situation

Whether you are writing an instant message, sending an email, creating a video, or posting other media, you need to think about the situation. To do that well, you need to consider these elements:

Sender

As the sender of the message, are you a student, a friend, a relative, a storyteller, a musician? What role do you have in sending this message?

Message

What is your message about (topic), and why are you sending it (purpose)? Make sure you understand what you are saying and why you are saying it—or your audience won’t understand.

Medium

What is the best medium for your message?