New media has undoubtedly revolutionized the world of communications and pushed it to another level. It has democratized knowledge by enabling the transmission of information across geographical, linguistic, and cultural boundaries. Without new media, people would not have access to the erstwhile elusive commodity and this access has given the masses the opportunity to effectively participate in the global society.
Users of new media have access to an unparalleled quantity of information about events taking place in various geographical locations because these platforms have made real-time communication possible.
The ongoing expansion of interactive networks and applications, combined with the decreasing cost of access and hardware, have enabled millions of people in the developing world to become producers of communicative media content.
These new “voices” serve people’s needs for entertainment, cultural enlightenment, and communication. They also help in influencing public opinion and, in an indirect way, formulating socioeconomic policies.
It would not be wrong to say that the fast-evolving new media has a deep impact on the socioeconomic sector and its development. Integration of strategic communication into socioeconomic development is what development communication is.
The concept was first floated in the ’70s by Wilbur Schramm, a scholar who is considered an authority on communication and development.
Schramm proceeded from the importance of media in general based on the historical memory of major transformations and the impact of communication and media on those events. He believed that media played a crucial role in alerting the third-world countries to their deteriorating realities and had a great impact on awakening the people from their deep slumber.
Strategic communication is a powerful tool that can help development projects have better chances of being positively impactful. With the new media, socioeconomic development entities such as multilateral development banks and countries’ special funds, can engage with and listen directly to the beneficiaries.
To promote communication in the context of sustainable development, we must create a discourse in which people in positions of power listen to, consider, value, and act upon the knowledge and viewpoints of those less fortunate.
Dr. Thamer Ahmad Baazeem
It tries to change people’s behaviors, not just spread information, teach, or raise awareness. Even though these are necessary parts of communication, they are not enough to get people to change habits or attitudes.
Development communication can be described as the process of acting systematically or strategically using media — print, radio, telephone, video, and internet — or education — training, literacy, and schooling — to achieve the objective of constructive social change. The transformation might be economic, psychological (spiritual, social, and cultural), or political.
Global development institutions like the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and others use development communication to increase accountability and transparency.
Human and societal progress cannot occur without effective means of communication. For communication, in socio-economic development, to be effective, it must be built on participatory models that place a premium on local expertise and highlight the role of communities as agents of change. In doing so, it emphasizes the view of communication as a means through which people may be heard, can take part in decision-making, and can bring about positive changes in their communities.
Understanding stakeholders, disseminating information to targeted groups, receiving feedback, and acting on it are the four pillars of effective communication. Therefore, to promote communication in the context of sustainable development, we must create a discourse in which people in positions of power listen to, consider, value, and act upon the knowledge and viewpoints of those less fortunate.
• Dr. Thamer Ahmad Baazeem is a board member of the Marketing Association Saudi Arabia.
