MASS COMMUNICATION AS A CATALYST TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE

1.0              INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF STUDY

It  is known that rural communities in Nigeria have always been the began hope through  out the history of this country and that they have always stained the urban communities through the   provision  of raw- material for industrialization.  In spite of this the contribution of the rural communities  have not received the adequate attention they deserve

Through government are doing everything with their power to see that situation as reserved they should realize that they have not been should realize that   they have not been making effective use of mass communication to foster community/ rural development with the proper use of the communication media in  shaping and channeling the minds of  the rural communities in the issues that  affect them it will go a long way in bettering their condition

            Emmy at all (1975) said that communication is “to bring development into focm” while Godwin Igbinebor is  of the opinion that innovation is a function of change in behavior    only comes through new ideas and vigils  it is the role of the mass media to convey new idees   and vigils “

This means that people conceded with the development of rural communities should realize the value of communication media and employ  them in all the facets of their pregrames

Before now much attention had been paid to the urban communities.  It was only ding the president Ibrahim Babangida’s regime that the directorate for food roads and rural infrastructure (DFFRI)  was established which laid emphasis on the rural communities .

            As the Ex-presidents (Babangida) daimed  I will be the cardinal element of the role  of the directorate not only to effectively promote frame work of grassroots social mobilization  but also   much a virile  pregramme of development  monitoring  and performance evaluation”

With this presidential speech much emphasis had now been shifted to the rural  communities. This is why Emma Ikwueze of the daily star said” this is how a development  nation eught to be that is having both urban  and rural communities developed”

1.2       STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

in this information age when comminutes has been regarded  as a veritable tool for rural economic social and political development the role which the media have been playing has not been all that encouraging in  the content of development in Nigeria. Even  in most rural communities where  modern   media are completely unavailable information is should among the people who can either read, mite nor hav3 exposure  to modern  mass media, they maintain in stable system of living.

It is not an over-statement to say that government plans and strategies for the development f the rural communities had consistently failed.  This is became they have fueled     to employ the mass media in the course   of  the  development pregrammes though the floating of many community newspaper magazines radio and television stations have helped  in  some ways but to what extent then have gone in improving the lot of our rural communities   in the content  of development is shifting to areas some section of the mass media have not yet released the need for this shift.  It is a glaring fact new that  government can not do everything for her citizens more especially the rural people. So it in imperative  now for the communication media to be  used as the authentic information channel to nurture this  new direction.

Therefore for this research the problem under invitation is to find  out  to what extent modern media have  helped the rural communities in the  contact of development to what degree is the attitude and behavioral change (s) of rural dwellers when exposed to the mass media.  This project will also look at the extent variable such as educational qualification occupation and income difference among the people of orumba south  local government of Anambra state.

1.3       THE OBJECTIVE OR PURPOSE OF  THE STUDY

it is acknowledged more than ever that  adequate information  dissemination is the basis of an informed and rational citizen.

The objective or purpose of  this study includes  

(i)         To find out how mass media communication could help in improving the lines of the rural dwellers in the   context of development influencing and changing their lives attitudes and condition.

(ii)               this research will also study how the rural dwellers to receive  and utilize the information available to them.

(iii)             Finally this project is aimed at finding solutions and recommending same so that it  will help to impact of mass communication in the context of rural development especially the orumba south local government area

1.5              RESEARCH QUESTIONS.

As it has been pointed out  some where in this text questions of  development usually  involve issues policies activities and budget that can only  be  acceptable or successful through  effective government programmes and effective use of mass media as fourth estate of the realm. Unfortunately these forgeries are done in a dricriminathing manner by our government by concentrating development in the urban centers while neglecting  the rural centers  consequently  this led to unnecessary frictions between the government and mass media  and their rural frikes   which could not  have arisen if the people were properly informed and  persuaded through  effective organized and sustained government progarmmes reasons this study shall specifically address the following questions.

1)                  Do the people of orumba south have positive  or negative attitude towards mass media of communication?

2)                  What channel selection  to the people  chose  for effective communication?  “Rural responsibility theory” is my personal suggestion.

3)                  Do they are their local innguage predominately or otherwise

4)                  Does mass communication have any influence on rural development?

1.6              significance of the study

The progress and strength of any country depends first   and  foremost on the progress of its people.  To some degree it also  depends on its communication capability and the use of mass media to bring about the desire development in the rural communities. It is disable therefore that  Nigeria government should shift development   to rural communities in the light of the present political social  and economic spheres of our country. The difference    between rural and urban centers have increasingly widened;  government has been facing an enormous  task in getting the rural communities developed the mass media is now taking up a new challenge to see to the needs and aspirations f the rural dwellers in the  context of development

In thin regards there is the need to re- appraise the role of the mass media or regards rural development there is also the need to suggests ways of   using the media more effectively instead of concentrating on the topics that will not interest the rural people.

The lack of relevant strategies and logistic policies to bring about the distend development in our communities particularly warrant for the study.  Furthermore this research may help media instructors and practitioners warrant for the  study. Furthermore  this research man help media instructors and practitioners through respondents response to the questionnaire items on new mass media can effectively be used to bring  about development in the rural communities

This research  will also  help to point our the fact that communication should be participatory  change agents in both horizontal and vertical manners.

This thesis will equally be of great  value to Nigeria development planners    us it finding would enable them know how to effectively use the resource at their disposal to justify development in the rural communities.   Finally just as me have social responsibility and development journalism theirs of mass communication which are largely restricted  to the urban centers this research will postulate that “Rural I  responsibility theory “ should also be included in the theirs of mass communication at least to bring about development in the remote parts of the third world countries.

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