The Evolution of Media’s Role in Development Communications

Development communication is one of those fields that has quietly reshaped how governments, NGOs, and international agencies approach social change. At its core, it is the strategic use of communication to drive positive development outcomes-whether in health, education, agriculture, or governance. But the way media has been used in this process has changed dramatically. What started as a top-down broadcast model-where experts simply told communities what to do-has evolved into something far more collaborative and community-driven. Understanding this evolution is essential for anyone studying how media intersects with social progress.

The early model: one-way transmission 🔗

In the 1950s and 1960s, the dominant approach to development communication was heavily influenced by the modernisation paradigm. Thinkers like Daniel Lerner, Wilbur Schramm, and Everett Rogers shaped the field’s early direction. The idea was straightforward: developing nations were “traditional” societies that needed to be modernised. Mass media-radio, print, and later television-were seen as tools to transmit modern ideas from urban centres and Western nations to rural populations.

Communication followed a linear, sender-to-receiver model. A government agency or development organisation would craft a message, and mass media would broadcast it to a largely passive audience. The assumption was simple-if people received the right information, they would change their behaviour. Local knowledge, cultural practices, and community perspectives were often treated as obstacles rather than resources.

According to Wilbur Schramm’s framework, the role of media in development had three core functions: to inform, to instruct, and to encourage participation. In practice, however, the first two dominated. The participatory element remained mostly theoretical during this early period.

Why the one-way model fell short 🔗

By the late 1960s and 1970s, it became clear that simply broadcasting information was not enough to create lasting social change. Many top-down development projects failed because they did not account for local realities-land ownership patterns, cultural norms, economic structures, or the power dynamics within communities. Latin American scholars like Luis Ramiro Beltrán and Paulo Freire were among the most vocal critics of this approach.

Freire, in particular, argued that development communication should not treat people as empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge. His concept of conscientisation-helping people develop a critical awareness of their social conditions-shifted the conversation. Instead of persuading communities to adopt externally designed solutions, the goal became empowering them to identify and address their own challenges.

Critics from the Global South also pointed out that underdevelopment was not simply a lack of information. It was tied to structural inequalities between nations-colonial legacies, unfair trade relationships, and cultural dependency through transnational media. This led to calls for what some scholars termed the decolonisation of information.

The shift to participatory communication 🔗

These critiques gave birth to a fundamentally different approach: participatory development communication. Rather than a one-way flow of information from expert to audience, this model emphasises a two-way dialogue. Communities are not just recipients of messages-they are active participants in defining problems, designing solutions, and deciding how communication tools should be used.

UNICEF defines development communication as a two-way process for sharing ideas and knowledge that empowers individuals and communities to take actions that improve their lives. This definition captures the spirit of the participatory shift. The communicator’s role changes from being a broadcaster to being a facilitator-someone who listens, connects, and amplifies community voices.

In practical terms, this means development projects now often begin with community-led needs assessments. Instead of an outside expert arriving with a predetermined plan, communities work with facilitators to identify their own priorities. The media tools used are also different-community radio, local video production, and interpersonal communication channels replace the exclusive reliance on national broadcasting.

The role of mass media in development communication 🔗

Despite the participatory turn, mass media-television, radio, and print-continues to play a significant role in development communication. It remains one of the most efficient ways to reach large populations, especially in remote and underserved areas. National campaigns on public health, disaster preparedness, and government welfare schemes still rely heavily on mass media channels.

Radio as a development tool 🔗

Radio has historically been the most accessible mass medium in the developing world. It doesn’t require literacy, it’s inexpensive, and it reaches areas where internet and television infrastructure is limited. In India, organised development communication began with rural radio broadcasts in the 1940s. These broadcasts used regional languages to reach wider audiences, and they covered topics ranging from agricultural techniques to health and hygiene.

Radio forums-where communities gather to listen to a broadcast and then discuss it together-became an effective method for combining mass media reach with local dialogue. This blended approach addressed one of mass media’s biggest weaknesses: its inability to facilitate conversation and feedback.

Television and development campaigns 🔗

Television brought a visual dimension to development messaging. In India, programmes like Krishi Darshan on Doordarshan provided agricultural information to rural viewers, while educational television initiatives helped supplement formal schooling in underserved regions. The Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) expanded the reach of these programmes to remote areas.

However, mass media channels are often criticised for being too generalised. National broadcasts cannot always address the specific concerns of marginalised communities or account for the diversity of local contexts. This limitation is precisely what gave rise to alternative and community media.

Alternative media: amplifying marginalised voices 🔗

Alternative media refers to media platforms and practices that operate outside mainstream, commercial, or state-controlled systems. These outlets are defined by their commitment to representing perspectives that are often ignored or underrepresented in dominant media. As the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) notes, this field encompasses media projects by marginalised groups, communication practices of social movements, innovative forms of media activism, and alternative journalism.

In the context of development communication, alternative media serves a critical function. It gives communities the power to tell their own stories, set their own agendas, and challenge dominant narratives about development. Where mainstream media might cover a new factory purely in terms of economic growth, an independent local outlet or community radio station might investigate the environmental and social costs for residents.

Alternative media is rarely passive. It doesn’t just inform-it mobilises. Historical examples range from pamphlets and underground newspapers during political movements to today’s citizen journalism platforms and community blogs. In the development space, it creates a counterbalance to top-down messaging by ensuring that development conversations include the voices of those most affected.

Community media: development from the ground up 🔗

Community media takes the principles of alternative media a step further by being owned, operated, and controlled by the communities they serve. According to Wikipedia’s overview of community media, these outlets are characterised by four core principles: community ownership and control, community service, community participation, and a non-profit model.

Community radio 🔗

Community radio is the most widespread form of community media globally. These low-power FM stations are run by local people, in local languages, discussing local issues. They serve as a vital alternative to both state-owned and commercial broadcasting. In India, initiatives like Sangham Radio-run by Dalit women in Pastapur, Telangana-demonstrated that democratic community participation through radio can build social cohesion across caste lines. Other examples like Radio Mewat and Namma Dhwani have shown that communities can use media not just to receive information but to shape the development agenda in their area.

In Bangladesh, the NGO network BNNRC established the Community Media News Agency and Community Media Academy to support the community radio sector. Community radio stations in Bangladesh have formed over 2,000 listener clubs, reaching millions and creating platforms for the marginalised to participate in local governance discussions.

Community video and digital platforms 🔗

Beyond radio, community media also includes local video production, community newsletters, and increasingly, digital platforms. The rise of mobile phones and social media has opened new possibilities for participatory communication. Community WhatsApp groups, local Facebook pages, and citizen journalism websites allow people to share information, report problems, and organise collectively. However, the digital divide-unequal access to internet and devices-remains a significant challenge, particularly in rural areas of developing nations.

Traditional media: the enduring power of folk forms 🔗

While discussions about media in development often focus on technology, some of the most effective communication tools are centuries old. Traditional or folk media-folk theatre, puppetry, street plays, ballads, and community songs-have been integral to development communication, particularly in countries like India where cultural diversity and varying literacy levels make these forms especially relevant.

Why folk media works 🔗

Folk media succeeds in development communication for several reasons. First, it is culturally embedded. These art forms use local languages, familiar characters, and culturally resonant stories. Second, it requires no electricity, internet, or literacy-making it accessible even in the most remote areas. Third, folk performances are participatory. Unlike a television broadcast, a street play or folk song invites audience engagement-people sing along, respond to performers, and become part of the event. This interactivity makes messages more memorable and persuasive.

As the INFLIBNET e-book on communication technologies highlights, folk media has been used by rural communities for generations to express socio-ritual, moral, and emotional needs. These forms are close to people’s hearts, and this emotional connection gives development messages delivered through folk media a level of credibility that external media cannot match.

Folk theatre and puppetry in India 🔗

India has an extraordinarily rich tradition of folk theatre. Forms like Jatra in Bengal, Tamasha in Maharashtra, Nautanki in North India, Yakshagana in Karnataka, Bhavai in Gujarat, and Therukoothu in Tamil Nadu each have distinct styles but share a common function: communicating social, moral, and now developmental themes to large groups.

After independence, the Indian government recognised the power of these forms. In 1954, the Song and Drama Division was established under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This division uses live entertainment media to raise awareness on issues like national integration, communal harmony, health, and development programmes. It operates through dozens of departmental and registered private troupes, presenting thousands of live performances annually across rural India.

Puppetry is another traditional form that has been effectively adapted for development communication. India has four main types-string puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets, and glove puppets-found across different regions. Government agencies and NGOs have used puppet shows to educate communities about health, sanitation, family planning, gender equality, and environmental issues. The form is particularly effective for discussing sensitive topics because the indirect nature of puppet storytelling allows difficult subjects to be addressed without confrontation.

Street theatre as a tool for social change 🔗

Street theatre, a more contemporary form of folk performance, has also been instrumental in development communication. Groups like Jana Natya Manch (JANAM) in India have used street plays to address issues ranging from communal violence and workers’ rights to gender discrimination and public health. Street theatre is especially prevalent in urban settings and among student groups, and it remains one of the most direct and cost-effective ways to deliver a social message.

The 1974 UNESCO seminar in New Delhi was a landmark event that focused specifically on the potential of traditional media for motivational and development purposes. The seminar produced guiding principles on integrating folk media with mass media for rural development, arguing that folk media should be treated as an integral part of any communication programme aimed at rural communities.

The convergence model: combining media for impact 🔗

Modern development communication rarely relies on a single type of media. The most effective strategies use a convergence approach-combining mass media for broad reach, alternative and community media for local relevance and participation, and traditional folk media for cultural resonance and trust.

For example, a national health campaign might use television and radio to raise initial awareness about a disease. Community radio stations can then localise the message, discussing it in the context of specific community needs and practices. And a folk theatre troupe might perform in a village, dramatising the health issue in a culturally relatable way and opening up a conversation among residents. This layered approach ensures that development messages are not just heard but understood, discussed, and acted upon.

Digital media has added another layer to this convergence. Mobile-based communication, social media, and community WhatsApp groups now allow for rapid information sharing and feedback loops that were not possible a few decades ago. But these tools work best when they complement-rather than replace-existing community communication structures.

Challenges and the road ahead 🔗

Despite the progress in making development communication more participatory, significant challenges remain. Funding is a persistent issue for community media outlets, many of which operate on shoestring budgets. Regulatory barriers-unfavourable licensing processes and restrictive media laws-limit the growth of community broadcasting in many countries. The digital divide means that the benefits of new media technologies are not equally distributed, and rural communities in developing nations are often left behind.

There is also the challenge of sustainability. Many community media projects are donor-funded and struggle to continue once external funding ends. Building locally sustainable models of community media-through local advertising, community contributions, or government support-remains an ongoing challenge.

Finally, the erosion of traditional folk media in the face of globalised digital entertainment is a concern. Younger generations are increasingly drawn to smartphones and streaming platforms, and many folk art forms risk losing their audiences and practitioners. Preserving these forms while adapting them for contemporary contexts is essential for maintaining culturally grounded development communication.

What do you think? Can participatory and community-driven media models truly scale to address large national development challenges, or will mass media always be necessary for reaching populations at scale? How might traditional folk media forms be adapted for digital platforms without losing the cultural authenticity that makes them effective?

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Lerner
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Schramm
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_Rogers
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_communication
5. https://idrc-crdi.ca/sites/default/files/openebooks/306-2/index.html
6. https://iamcr.org/s-wg/section/community-communication/community-communication-who-we-are
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_media
8. https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/hsp13/chapter/traditional-and-folk-media-for-development/
9. https://caluniv.ac.in/global-mdia-journal/COMMENTARY-DEC%202013/Commentary_8_Sheelita_Das.pdf