Communication as an Indicator

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 Objectives of the Lecture

• To apprise the students with the idea of communication as an

indicator of development

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 Lecture Outcomes

After going through this lesson, a student shall be :

•Able to understand the significance of communication in
human development

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 Recap

• Development Defined
• Development vs Growth
• Development Communication Defined (In details)
• Process of Development Communication
• Indicators of development
• GDP and GNP
• HDI
• HI

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 What is an indicator
• An indicator is a quantitative or qualitative factor or variable
that provides a simple and reliable basis for assessing
achievement, change or performance.
• It is a unit of information measured over time that can help
show changes in a specific condition. A given goal or objective
can have multiple indicators

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 Why Communication?
• Most current development policy rests on the belief that
development works best when it is rooted in country
ownership, when people have a voice in their own development
and when they can hold both governments and others in power
to account.
• Communication strategies enable people to know and
understand issues that affect them, and they provide people
with the means and spaces to articulate their own perspectives
in public and political debate.
• Without knowledge of issues that affect you, and without the
capacity to make your voice heard, there can be no
participation or ownership. 6 of 13
Communication as an indicator of development
• The communication for development intervention has its own
objectives, activities and outputs to be monitored and
evaluated whether these stand on their own or they are
mainstreamed into the overall sector programme objectives,
activities and outputs.
• Communication for development is an essential component of
any strategy designed to guarantee that voice.

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Communication as an indicator of development
• Expanded public and private dialogue and debate
• Increased accuracy of the information that people share in the
dialogue/debate
• Increased leadership role by people disadvantaged by the
issues of concern
• Linked people and groups with similar interests who might
otherwise not be in contact

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 Using Communication for Development
• As Charles Wright says that the functions of communication
include correlation, entertainment, socialization and education.
All these are directly as well as indirectly related with
development in our country.
• Apart from fulfilling these functions communication can serve to
speed up the acceptance of new ideas into a community.
• Communication can also expand peoples horizon and thinking
on many aspects pertaining to development.
• We know about the steps to be taken to face any disaster,
calamity only through communication.
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 Using Communication for Development
• Communication can provide specific direction towards
achieving development by focusing on problem areas in a
developmental program me.
• Communication can keep the people informed of the steps
taken towards the national integration and national
development.
• Communication can help people to face problems on an
individual and also on collective basis on various fronts.
• Development oriented themes such as family planning; adult
education, primary health care etc. can be spread to people
much faster through communication.
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 Using Communication for Development
• People feedback on developmental programmes can be passed
to the policy makers only through communication.
• Communication is an indicator of development for the future
since people come to know about the event in advance, that may
happen only through communication.

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 Suggested Further Readings & References

Melkote, S. R., & Steeves, H. L. (2001). Communication for

development in the third world: Theory and practice for
empowerment. SAGE.
Murthy, D. V. (2006). Development journalism: What next?
An agenda for the press. Kanishka Publishers.
Narula, U. (2004). Development communication: Theory and
practice.
Image Source: Zee News

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Thank you


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