“The more surprising a message, the more information it contains.”

According to some theorists, reality is composed of information – not matter. What does this mean for businesses seeking to thrive, and communicate, in an information age? A recent book review in The Wall Street Journal (“Little Bits Go a Long Way,” 3/1/11) provides food for thought.

Of particular note is the idea that “the more surprising a message, the more information it contains.”  In an era of information-overload, effective public communication must provide true and meaningful information.  The power of a message rests on the substance and ideas behind it, not simply the sound bite. This is as true for public messaging campaigns as it is for information theorists.

The book is called The Information: A History. A Theory. A Flood., by James Gleick. For professionals in the idea-generation business, it certainly seems worth a read.

Posted by: Paulette Miniter

Tags: Small Business