2. THEORETICAL SECTION

2.1.1 DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION: TRACING ITS ROOTS

To understand any concept, it is important to trace its origin and development. Similarly, in the planning of development communication, the process of public campaigning can be considered to be the very first step.

“Public communication campaigns are purposive attempts to inform, persuade, or motivate behaviour changes in a relatively well-defined and large audience, generally for non-commercial benefits to the individuals and/ or society at large, typically within a given time period, by means of organised communication activities involving mass media and often complemented by interpersonal support” [Rice and Atkin 1989; adapted from Rogers and Storey 1987, as quoted by Windahl, Signitzer and Olson, 1992: 101].

When such campaigns are aimed at bringing about social and economic improvements, usually in developing countries, they constitute development communication.

It was the apparent success of World War II propaganda — facilitated to a large extent by the mass media — that prompted theorists like Wilbur Schramm and Daniel Lerner to place high hopes on the potential of radio and television to bring about dramatic progress in the world’s most disadvantaged countries [Paterson].

Thus, the field of development communication that emerged in the late 1950s came to believe that mass media could bring a desire to ‘modernize’, by promoting education, essential skills and social unity [Ibid]. Theorists such as Lerner suggested that “exposure to Western media would create ‘empathy’ for modern culture, and a desire to move from traditional to modern ways” [Ibid]. Thus, the approach advocated a capitalist way of life.

But, there were several drawbacks to this approach. It equated modernisation to Westernisation. It also assumed development to be a top-down process facilitated by a centralized mass media. But, the “producers of development media often failed to ask if the audience can receive the message (television penetration in developing countries is minimal and radio penetration in the early days of development communication was light), understand the message (a problem in countries with dozens of languages and dialects), act upon the message (with the necessary tools or other forms of structural support), and want to act upon the message” [Ibid]. Besides, being based on the propaganda model, all efforts at development were seen as propaganda and distrusted.

In the 1970s and 1980s, a new paradigm developed. It realised that the underdeveloped countries were a product of colonialism, and the diverse cultures, ideologies and political considerations required endless varieties of ways to be communicated with. In keeping with this strategy, educational television, satellite television and VCRs developed as part of the communication system.

It did bring about some changes in beliefs and behaviours and with it came a surge of non-profit non-governmental organisations to work on developmental projects worldwide using UN, government or private funding. They worked on three basic development campaigns: “Persuasion, changing what people do; Education, changing social values; and Informing, empowering people to change by increasing knowledge” [Ibid].

Of these, the third concept is now perceived to be the most useful, because it aims to reduce inequality by involving the poorest sections of society in their own development. In this new approach, communication has become “an important catalyst for change, but not its cause” [Ibid]. Besides using television (for example, the telenovela in Brazil) to disseminate pro-social messages, it also makes use of the local folk media, community newspapers and radio.

Thus, the concept of development communication that originated with an idealistic approach has, with the passing years, become more and more practical. Today, if such a communication policy is implemented keeping all the parameters in mind, it can well be successful.