Sometimes I wish I could measure aspects of communication as precisely as science students measure the make-up of organic compounds in the biology lab. Communications is not an exact science, try as we may, a certain percentage will always be attributed to interpretation and differences among people.
The complications compound when you examine the differences between interpersonal communication and mass communication. Add in the variable of technology that allows us to connect to individuals of our choosing or massive amounts of strangers, and you have got an ever-changing playing field.
I like that my chosen field is not an exact science. It helps keep things interesting, and allows for good debate about what variables are at play. Communication is as varied and complex as each human being. We may never get it down to a perfect science, but there are still valuable lessons to be learned.