Importance of traditional media as per language areas
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Traditional media refers to conventional means of mass communication practiced by various communities and cultures, or embodied in local custom or lore. Traditional folk media also represents the traditional way of life based on customs, beliefs and arts that make up a distinctive culture.
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• Senior Scientist (Agril. Extension), Directorate of Sorghum Research (ICAR), Hyderabad-500 030, E-mail: [email protected] and ** Principal Scientist & Head, Division of Agricultural Extension, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012. TRADITIONAL MEDIA FOR RURAL MASS COMMUNICATION Rajendra R. Chapke* and Rekha Bhagat** ABSTRACT Results of the study revealed that majority of respondents were visitors of Tamasha (71.66%) and Bhajan (60.00 %) at their village itself especially on the Diwali occasion. These were organized by the village people interested in the traditional media shows. The folk media were most liked by the viewers due to lively performance and its story based on the current topic (40.50%). First preference was given by viewers to social development themes including agriculture (522 total score), followed by patriotic songs (501 total score), recreation and entertainment (363 total score), political (overall score 177) and history of freedom fighters and religious. The purposes served by show were; good impact of message realized (71.67 %) felt entertained (55.66 %) and developed ‘we’ feeling (36.67 %). The traditional media shows are still total involvement shows providing entertainment and education to the rural masses Key words: Traditional folk media, folk entertainment, mass communication, extension education, rural, and agricultural development and information system. Introduction Communication has played a vital role since the dawn of the history. It is a very essential input in the process of social development. Modern mass media flourish now-a-days, but these are not performing the role expected from them in developing as well as under developed countries due to several reasons such as, more illiteracy percentage, lack of electricity, highly technical equipment, lack of transporting facilities, etc. The traditional media are very effective in rural communication due to the acceptable idioms, local language, etc. Traditional folk media enables the illiterate audiences to retain the knowledge up to fifteen to thirty days (Ramanathan and Shrinivasan, 1988). Several authors (Wang, 1988; Golob, 1991; Sarireha, 1995; Saxsena, 1993; Murthy, 1994; Samar, 1997 and Pillai, 1998) have stated that the traditional media are very effective tools in the process of communication. Some five-star hotels are using them for entertaining the tourists and some popular artists are making lot of money by performing their shows in big cities. Also a few Government organizations related to social development work are using them to communicate the important message such as, national integration, communal harmony, health and family welfare, girl child, prevention of drug abuse etc., to the rural masses (Mishra and Sah, 2008). Folk media help in the task of making nation building, socio-economic development and modernization easier and acceptable to rural masses (Apte, 1978).