Hierarchy in Communication Channels

When relaying a message like that the president should wear a red tie to someone as prestigious as the President of the United States himself, one wouldn't expect to walk right up to him and tell him whatever it is you have to say. While reading Group Communication, chapter four explains how there are multiple channels when communicating. Two main types of communication channels are; formal and informal channels. Formal channels are paths of communication a message must go through in a professional way that includes a middleman. For example, if one wanted to get the red tie message to Obama they might give a secretary the message to be reviewed, approved, and sent on its way. Informal channels are paths of communication that usually get relayed through casual word of mouth, or rumor. For example, if Obama heard that one wanted to get him a message involving wearing a red tie, that would be informal because it didn’t get approved before he heard it.