Which term denotes the medium through which an encoded message is conveyed?

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The channel is the medium through which the encoded message travels from sender to receiver. It acts as the conduit that carries the content after it’s encoded, whether that’s a telephone line, a fiber optic cable, radio waves, printed paper, or an email network. The channel is distinct from the source (who creates the message) and from the information or content itself. It also matters because different channels can affect how clearly the message is transmitted, how fast it gets there, and what distortions or noise might interfere with understanding. For example, a face-to-face conversation uses the immediate surroundings as a channel, while a text message uses a digital network.