Development Communication

Communication for Development: Indian Scenario

Introduction:

Development and communication are two terms heavily loaded with different conceptions.

The wide range of interpretations of key terminology and evolution of some concepts has

established the fact that it is more of an approach than a discipline. There are three common

types of development campaigns: Persuasion, changing what people do; Education, changing

social values; and informing, empowering people to change by increasing knowledge. Thus,

the communication media, in the context of development, are generally used to support

development initiatives to disseminate the messages that encourage and motivate the public

to support development-oriented projects. Although development strategies in developing

countries varies widely, the usual pattern for broadcasting and the press has been

predominantly the same: informing the population about projects, illustrating the advantages

of these projects, and recommending that they be supported. A typical example of such a

strategy is situated in the area of family planning, health care (polio vaccination or use of

condom for HIV prevention and so on) where communication means such as posters,

pamphlets, radio cues, and television attempt to persuade the public to accept birth control

methods or celebrities endorsement for better acceptance like Amitabh Bachchan for Polio

vaccination campaign. Similar strategies are used in campaigns regarding agricultural

projects, education, and employment and so on.

The concept of development communication arose to bring social and economic development

in the Third World countries through effective use of communication media. The field

emerged in the late 1950's with high hopes that radio and television could be put to use in the

world's most disadvantaged countries to bring about dramatic progress (Schramm). Early

communication theorists like Wilbur Schramm considered mass media as a magic

multiplayer...