Decoding recovers or interprets a message from its representation. Technical decoding follows specified procedures; human interpretation also draws on conventions and context. A recipient can understand a message’s preferred meaning while questioning or rejecting it, so decoding and acceptance must be distinguished.
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What these mean
Editorial orientation · Entry type
Key concept
Key concepts are the working vocabulary of the field: the terms that the models and tools rely on and that a decision about communication has to use precisely. Each entry defines the term and sends you to the brief or the self-guided audit where it is put to work.