New Role for Communication in Development

Mass communication has been considered as the prime movers in social development. This view was much stronger in the 1950s and 1960s when the central focus was on the big mass media to the neglect of interpersonal/organizational networks and indigenous channels of communication. As the result, communication flows were hierarchical, one-way and top-down. People were regarded as passive receivers of development information. This scenario started to change somewhat in the 1970.