1. Seminar
on
Role of M
ass Communication in
E
xtension E
ducation
By:Shalini Pandey

2. Mass Communication
Littlejohn and Foss (2005) defined that
“The process whereby media organizations produce
and transmit messages to large publics and the
process by which those messages are sought, used,
and consumed by audiences”
McQuail (1994) states that mass communication is,
“only one of the processes of communication
operating at the society-wide level, readily identified
by its institutional characteristics”

3. Concept of mass media
• It enable development agents or agencies to reach a large
number of persons, directly (or) indirectly, with one
exposure or a single source.
• It involve a mass medium such as radio, television, and
newspapers and so on, which enable a source to reach an
audiences of many.
• These are the means or devices of communication used to
reach large number of audience at a time.
• Mass media are the tools or technologies that facilitate
dissemination of information and entertainment to large
numbers.

4. Need
• Most mass communication comes from large organizations that influence culture
on a large scale. Schramm (1963) refers to this as a “working group organized
around some device for circulating the same message, at about the same time, to
large numbers of people”
• We are turning into a “global village” through our interdependence with mass
communication. Suddenly, “across the ocean” has become “around the corner.”
McLuhan (1964) predicted this would happen because of mass communication’s
ability to unify people around the globe.
• The media can surely act as an effective channel of two-way communication by
taking problems and concerns of the people to the decision-makers. The
involvement of the people with the medium and the credibility of the medium
greatly increases when the medium deals with issues of immediate concern to the
audience.

5. Communication
Communication
Communication

6. Requirem of com unication
ent
m
Extension Sy
stem
Education
Rural
People
Research
Extension

7. Need Of Mass Communication
• Mass media materials are needed whenever
large number of people must be reached
and motivated to action,
• mass media material influence people to
adopt new practices, the cost per adoption
is low.
• The average village level worker can
perhaps contact a dozen farmers in one day
on an individual basis. He can conduct two
or three meetings and meet 100 to 200
people. However, he could distribute or
post hundreds of leaflets, folders or other

8. Function of mass
Communication
• Improving Communication Capacity of Agricultural Extension
System
• Integration of the media
• Quick delivery of information
• Helpful During the Emergency Situation
• Create an interest among the audience
• Helpful in filling the communication gap Between Farmers and
extension system
• Live Telecast is possible from the far areas to the farmers TV
set
• Demonstration of new technique is possible
• Helpful for Literate As well as illiterate farmers and farm
women

9. Research-Extension Communication
in India: the Present Scenario
• The major medium of communication among the
research and extension agencies in India is still
"face-to-face communication".
• The information and communication support during
the last 50 years has mainly been conventional.
• This approach has not been able to reach majority
of the farmers who are spread across the whole
country.
• This gap remains a challenge for the extension
system .

11. MASS MEDIA SUPPORT TO AGRICULTURE EXTENSION
’
Year Plan Suggest
Five
10
• Over the last few years mass media has seen a phenomenal growth in this
country both in terms of reach and advance in technology. This medium has not
been exploited to its full potential for the purpose of extension. A concerted
and well coordinated effort now needs to be made to use the electronic media
in the Extension strategy.
th
• utilize existing infrastructure of Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) to
produce and transmit programmes covering a wide spectrum of topics in
agriculture and allied fields for bringing the latest information and knowledge to
the farming community.

12. Future possibilities
Cyber Extension
•According to Oxford Dictionary the word Cyber means, “relating to
Information Technology, the Internet, and virtual reality, the Cyber Space”.
(“Pakkisan.com” and “Villages Online” portals of Pakistan; “Graeme Bank’s Village
Communication Program” in Bangladesh, Radio-Browsing Program in Bhutan,
“Penang E-learning Community” in Malaysia and “Interactive Radio” and the “
Kothamale Community Radio” in Sri Lanka are all trend-setter projects in South
Asia)
National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad,
India has taken up a number of innovative projects to provide information and
communication connectivity to the farmers and farm families in rural areas, under
the banner of “Cyber Extension”. These projects include: i) Connecting over 25
Districts, 400 Blocks on Internet; ii) Implementing Wireless in Local Loop Technology
in Agriculture to provide Telephone and Internet connectivity to rural population;
iii) Connecting over 40 national level institutions on two-way Video Conferencing:
and iv) Providing Video Conferencing access to Farmers’ groups and Farm-families in
Rural Areas through its Mobile V-SAT Van.

13. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management
(MANAGE), Hyderabad, has taken up a number of innovative
projects to provide information and communication
connectivity to the farmers and farm
families in rural areas, under the banner of “Cyber Extension”.
i. ICT Connectivity at District and Block Level under NATP
ii. Mobile VSAT Van based Video Conferencing
iii. Establishing Video Connectivity at Centers of Excellence in
Agriculture and Rural Development
iv. Use of Wireless in Local Loop (WiLL) Technology to Provide Rural
Connectivity
v. Establishing Information Kiosks at 11 Villages in Ranga Reddy District
of A.P.

14. Conclusion
Information and Communication Technology (ICTs)
offers a very good mix of tools to make
Agricultural Extension more effective, more relevant
and more credible with minimum investment. The
numerous initiatives undertaken in Asia have provided
a good testing field to launch major Cyber
Extension projects in the primarily agricultural
economies. Cyber Extension will enable the hitherto
slowmotion rural economies into intelligent, futuristic and
vibrant economies, which will contribute more
positively to the national development goals. Cyber
Extension, thus will help Agricultural Extension to
rediscover itself.

15. THANKS
!