IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREA (RADIO AND TELEVISION)

Electronic media of communication, when skillfully used has proved to be the most effective media of communication with terrific immediacy. When faced with the issue of trying to inform large audience of widely dispersed rural semi literate or stack illiterate people about new ideas, products or information that can improve their lives, the most promising solution is to basically to employ  the services of electronic media {Bogue 1979}.This statement suitable describes the radio and indeed the television. It also describes the influence of broadcast media on every aspect of our lives.

Electronic media, especially radio cannot only reach people and areas otherwise inaccessible, but also serves a direct instrument education social change and cultural enhancement. Radio and television are agents of social change because they lead to changes in attitude, beliefs and skills which can be no substantial rural development.

    Considering the low level of literacy among the rural dwellers, the impact of print journalism will obviously be very restrictive and limited. This makes electronic broadcast media to be more effective and efficient media for rural development.

However, radio is cheaper and transistorized set are widely known. Therefore, no radio sets are bought annually than television and therefore, information carried on radio has a good chance of getting across to larger proportion of the entire population of the rural areas.

     Nonetheless, for any meaningful development to take place in the rural areas, rural communities needs to be properly mobilized in other to create  the awareness basic  for appreciation and participation in any development process.