"The title of this book raises expectations that are hardly fulfilled. One wonders again and again which target group the author had in mind when writing his work: it seems too impractical for practitioners and too unsound for theorists. For example, many of the names and authors cited lack bibliogr
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aphical information, which is also missing from the summarised bibliography (e.g. Levin, Hruschka). Important works that would appeal to practitioners in particular, such as Ralph Milton's Broadcasting Handbook (cf. CS 2:1969,182), are completely absent, not to mention books on fundamental considerations such as the works of Paulo Freire. The use of the so-called mass media in the development process is not as simple and unproblematic as the author suggests in his introduction. Broadcasting is hardly the miracle cure that people would like to make it out to be, and especially in the case of the frequently cited German projects of this kind, some questions must be asked about the consideration of existing indigenous, cultural, social and communicative values, which must also be taken into account when introducing modern means of communication. For example, is the role of the "change agent" really so important or is two-way communication not much more decisive for the development process (page 39 ff)? Some questions need to be asked. One has the impression that the whole book is too "German", which is probably also due to the fact that some passages have obviously been translated from German into English. Perhaps some of the unevenness is also due to the fact that various radio stations were asked to contribute to the book (e.g. Deutsche Welle, Südfunk, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). Some aid organisations would be happy if the ACPO (- Sutatenza) radio school in Colombia could finance itself "mostly from advertising" (Page 56). But why are there no bibliographical references here either, such as to Musto's work (Berlin 1968) or to publications on such experiments in other continents (e.g. Neurath for India)? Bibliographical references to the Indonesian model by Salmon Padmanagara (page 87) would be welcome, as they are to many others. Maletzke's clear contribution (from page 105) on the evaluation of projects is a pleasant surprise. Some would have liked this section to be more detailed and the entire book to have some of its clarity." (translation from a review by Franz Josef Eilers in: Communicatio Socialis, vol. 12, 1979, nr. 1, pages 83-84)
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"In this booklet, we describe in some detail the successful Liberian experiment, and suggest ways in which other countries may organize a similar project through their Information Ministry or other development agency. The third part of the booklet, is a simple "how-to-do-it guide for the editor/publ
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isher of a mimeo newspaper It is, in fact, an elementary manual for the journalist who has had no professional experience, and is in a form suitable for reprinting and wide distribution to the staffs of the rural papers. The mimeo newspaper is, admittedly, a rudimentary form of publishing, technically limited by the capacity of the equipment used. It is none the less significant for all that, and in passing, it should be noted that with skill and care, a professional looking paper can be produced. The important thing, however, is that this method of production enables a means of expression and establishes a small business enterprise, years before it would be economically possible with conventional printing plant. On the basis of the Liberian experience, it is estimated that a paper could be established with an initial outlay of as little as $100, and that it could provide a living for its owner/editor from the outset. This is a beginning from which a publisher and a community might aspire to progress until the time when a printed broadsheet can be produced by a professional staff on a modern printing plant." (Preface)
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"The purposes of the present study are: (1) to examine the nature of the modernization process among peasants in one less developed country, Colombia, and (2) to determine the cross-cultural validity of these findings in other of the less developed nations. Peasants are important subjects of study b
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y social scientists because they constitute a majority of the population of most less developed nations. In this book modernization is viewed as essentially a communication process; modernizing message must reach the peasant via such communication channels as the mass media, change agents, or the villager's trips to cities. The methodological approach to theory construction in the present work is middle-range analysis. Data were gathered from peasants in six Colombian villages varying in degree of modernization; comparable data-gathering procedures and measures were used in two studies in India and one in Kenya in order to provide cross-cultural tests of generalization. Functional literacy was measured among the Colombian peasants by asking each respondent to read a six-word sentence in Spanish. Highly positive relationships were obtained between functional literacy scores and (1) self-defined literacy, and (2) years of formal education. These findings have been confirmed with data from a sample of 702 Indian peasants, whose responses lend cross-cultural credence to the conclusions." (ERIC databse)
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"The author describes an experiment of community development in India — The part played by mass media, their use in communicating the program to the people — Comments and conclusions." (Jean-Marie Van Bol, Abdelfattah Fakhfakh: The use of mass media in the developing countries. Brussels: CIDESA,
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1971 Nr. 697, topic code 051)
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"Mettre la radio au service de l'éducation des adultes dans les zones rurales, telle a été l'une des principales tâches de l'Unesco - Une méthode a été mise au point au Canada, celle de la tribune radiophonique rurale - Elle fut utilisée en Inde - Le présent ouvrage relate comment on est pa
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ssé du stade expérimental à l'action d'envergure dans l'Inde pour la préparation de campagnes similaires en Afrique ou ailleurs - La première partie comme le titre l'indique est consacrée à l'extension de la tribune radiophonique rurale à toute l'Inde, tandis que la seconde traite de la formation des spécialistes de la radiodiffusion en Afrique." (Jean-Marie Van Bol, Abdelfattah Fakhfakh: The use of mass media in the developing countries. Brussels: CIDESA, 1971 Nr. 272, topic code 210.330)
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