Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Subject: Development Communication

Module No.: 4

Applications of Development Communication

MODULE OVERVIEW

This module introduces the different application of development communication especially in extension work where
concepts are put into action and theories are concretized on the field.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

Determine the fielding of theories into reality and most importantly apply the concepts to specific contexts
of different communities and the larger Philippine society.
LEARNING CONTENTS

As a nation characterized by its rich cultural diversity and dynamic population, the Philippines has long recognized
the transformative power of communication in driving social progress and economic growth. From rural development and
poverty reduction to healthcare initiatives and environmental sustainability, the Philippines has harnessed the potential of
communication to empower individuals, engage communities, and promote inclusive development.

Areas of Practice

Development communication has five areas of practice. These are: community communication; community development
broadcasting; development journalism; educational communication; and science communication.

Community communication
- Involves the use of interpersonal communication and community media to facilitate community decision-making,
problem-solving, conflict resolution, interest articulation, advocacy, and social mobilization. It is characterized by high
community participation, where the community is involved in the planning, production, and evaluation of messages.
- Community communication is grassroots communication that is created and driven by the people within the community.
- According to Frances J. Berrigan, community media possesses the following characteristics:
1. It is owned and controlled by the community members.
2. It is typically smaller in scale and has lower costs.
3. It enables interactive two-way communication.
4. It operates on a non-profit and autonomous basis, prioritizing community interests over commercial ones.
5. It may have limited coverage or reach.
6. It utilizes appropriate, indigenous resources as materials.
7. It reflects the needs and interests of the community.
8. Approximately one-third of its programs or content supports community development.
- Examples of community media include community newspapers, community radio, balagtasan (a form of Filipino poetry
debate), folk drama, and songs.
- The community can participate in community media as planners, producers, or performers.
- Key areas of concern within community communication include facilitative and interpersonal communication, social
mobilization and advocacy, indigenous communication, extension communication, and gender issues in communication.

Page 1 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

Community/ Development Broadcasting

- Practitioners utilize radio and television for developmental purposes.
- They plan, write, and produce radio and TV programs in various formats (news, magazines, dramas) to address the
information needs and problems of their audience.
- They employ creativity in using voice, music, and sound effects to effectively deliver developmental messages.
- Community/development broadcasters have distinct characteristics that set them apart from regular broadcasters.
- The label "community" in community/development broadcasting signifies a focus on local radio or TV stations.
- People prefer stations that provide local news and programs that address their concerns and allow for participation.
- Participation is a key aspect of community/development broadcasting, requiring effort from broadcast organizations and
agencies.
- Meaningful participation necessitates dedicated resources, inclusive decision-making processes, and incorporating
community voices and perspectives.

There are three proposed courses of action to enhance participatory broadcasting and promote understanding among
different segments of society:
1. Expand the broadcasting mission: In addition to the traditional three-fold mission of educating, informing, and
entertaining, a fourth mission should be included. This new mission focuses on fostering understanding among diverse
societal groups by facilitating greater and more meaningful participation. By incorporating this objective, broadcasting
platforms can actively contribute to bridging gaps, fostering dialogue, and promoting social cohesion.
2. Embrace an educational approach: To encourage participation, broadcasting organizations should adopt a more
educational approach to programming. This can involve implementing programs such as schools-on-the-air or radio
forums, where listeners can actively engage, share their perspectives, and learn from experts or educators. By providing
opportunities for audience participation and learning, broadcasting platforms become catalysts for informed discussions
and knowledge-sharing.
3. Establish channels of consultation: Broadcasting organizations should establish channels of consultation,
collaborating and coordinating with government entities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other institutions.
These partnerships allow for the meaningful involvement of diverse stakeholders in the planning, implementation, and
evaluation of broadcasting initiatives. By engaging in consultations, broadcasting organizations gain valuable insights,
enhance the relevance of their programming, and ensure representation of various perspectives and interests.

Implementing these recommended courses of action promotes inclusivity, empowers the audience, and enriches the
broadcasting landscape. It creates a platform for dialogue, knowledge dissemination, and collective problem-solving,
ultimately fostering a more engaged and informed society.

Development Journalism
It encompasses various roles and responsibilities within the field of print media. A development journalist:

1. Engages in writing and editing developmental news content for print media.
2. Manages the production of community newspapers.
3. Prepares extension publications.
The scope of a development journalist's tasks extends beyond conventional reporting and the dissemination of
information to the public. Their writing responsibilities extend beyond regular beats such as politics and crime.
Development journalists cover a wide range of topics, including economics, population, health, nutrition, environment,
agriculture, and other areas related to development. However, delivering news content is just one aspect of their work.
Development journalism also emphasizes participatory reporting, aiming to involve as many members of society as
possible, particularly those with limited access to mainstream media, in sharing developmental news.

Page 2 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

The term "dev journ" was coined by Alan B. Chalkley in 1970. Chalkley believes that a development journalist's role
encompasses three main aspects: primarily, to inform; secondarily, to interpret; and thirdly, to promote. Chalkley
explains that development journalists not only present facts and interpret economic realities but actively promote and
relate them to readers. Their goal is to make readers aware of the severity of underdevelopment issues, stimulate critical
thinking about the problems, and inspire consideration of potential solutions to break the vicious cycle of poverty.

Juan F. Jamias, in 1991, emphasizes that development journalism adopts a scientific outlook and a technical
approach to subject matter. Development journalists are trained to cover scientific work, research, and technical
information. They should be well-versed in areas such as economics, forestry, health, nutrition, agriculture, and the
environment. This enables them to provide comprehensive coverage and analysis of development-related topics.
Stephen Hamada, editor-publisher of the Baguio Midland Courier, argues that development journalism surpasses the
mere act of writing press releases and speeches. It entails making community newspapers actively supportive of
national and local economic programs, reflecting a commitment to fostering development at the grassroots level.

Educational Communication
- Some individuals mistakenly associate educational communication solely with audiovisual media, but this is an
inaccurate understanding.
- The Association of Educational Communication and Technology (AECT, 1977) defines educational communication as a
comprehensive and integrated process that involves people, procedures, ideas, devices, and organization. It aims
to analyze problems, devise solutions, implement strategies, evaluate outcomes, and manage all aspects of human
learning.
- Educational communication encompasses the entire learning process, and practitioners utilize communication
principles and approaches to effectively address learning problems and facilitate the learning experience.
- One essential aspect of educational communication is the ability to respond to learning problems and facilitate the
learning process through the design of learning systems.
- A learning system design, as defined by Davies (1974) and cited by Cadiz, is an organized combination of people,
materials, facilities, equipment, and procedures that interact to achieve a specific learning goal.
- The provided table demonstrates an example of a learning system design focused on waste management for grade
schoolers. It illustrates the roles of educational communicators in the learning process and provides specific operational
examples of how these roles are implemented in the context of waste management education for grade school students.

Page 3 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

Based on the provided example, educational communication can be described as follows:

1. Recognizes learning and communication as interconnected processes and systems. In the given example, it is evident
that parents and educational institutions are considered integral components of a child's communication-learning system.
2. Implements well-structured and systematic communication procedures and approaches, as demonstrated by the
organized and step-by-step nature of the learning system design.
3. Utilizes a combination of effective human and nonhuman resources. In the example, parents are engaged to educate
their children, highlighting the utilization of human resources to enhance learning.
4. Applies theories and principles of human learning, such as utilizing puppetry shows as a medium for instructional
purposes when teaching children.

Science Communication
- Jamias (1991) states that the function of science communication is to drive innovation.
- Dr. W. Hague (1974) highlights the significant impact of applying scientific discoveries in production technology on the
standard of living in developed countries.
- Science communication aims to address the disparity between developed and underdeveloped countries by helping the
public understand and appreciate scientific research.
- The clientele of science communication extends beyond the general public and includes extension workers, scientists,
businessmen, policymakers, and other specific information users.
- Science communication practitioners assist information users in accessing primary information through organization,
processing, packaging, and distribution of knowledge tailored to their needs.
- Effective science communication requires a working knowledge of library science and information technology, as
practitioners handle a wealth of information that needs to be organized and stored.
- Keeping up with new information and communication technologies is crucial for science communication practitioners to
leverage them as channels for effective communication.
- Overall, science communication as a field enables communication on four levels:
1. Communication among scientists,
2. Communication of science to the general public,
3. Communication of research results to specific users, and
4. Communication facilitated by new technology.

Page 4 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

Applications of Development Communication

MODULE OVERVIEW

This module introduces the different application of development communication especially in extension work where
concepts are put into action and theories are concretized on the field.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

Determine the fielding of theories into reality and most importantly apply the concepts to specific contexts
of different communities and the larger Philippine society.
LEARNING CONTENTS

Types of Development Worker

Type A:
- The Type A development worker is characterized by viewing development work as a business opportunity, aiming to profit
from it. This individual represents commercial outfits or advertising agencies that charge exorbitant rates for their services.
They justify these high rates by claiming professionalism. However, their approach to development work is often criticized
as scandalous because they exploit the misfortune of others for personal gain.
Type B:
- The Type B development worker is the professional in the field of development. Their primary concern is the quality of
their output, as it directly reflects their reputation and marketability. This category includes consultants, technocrats,
specialists, and experts who are dedicated to providing high-quality work in their respective areas of expertise. They
prioritize delivering results that meet industry standards and uphold their professional integrity.
Type C:
- The Type C development worker considers development work as a calling rather than a mere job or business opportunity.
Their main focus is to make a meaningful impact and address development problems. However, they often face constraints
such as limited time, manpower, and resources. To overcome these challenges, they rely on improvisation and innovation
to produce output efficiently. They prioritize immediate results over strict adherence to professional quality standards,
arguing that the longer it takes to implement solutions, the longer beneficiaries are deprived of much-needed resources and
services. They believe that urgent needs cannot wait and prioritize meeting basic requirements promptly.

Balancing Quality and Urgency:

- The argument presented highlights the importance of striking a balance between the concern for quality and the immediacy
of action in development work. It acknowledges that strict quality control should be implemented under normal conditions,
where there is sufficient time and resources. However, in the context of development work, which often deals with pressing
issues and urgent needs, excessive focus on quality can hinder progress. The analogy of crisis management is used to
emphasize that when immediate action is required, reflecting upon the quality of actions becomes less significant.

Page 5 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

The extra effort spent on ensuring perfection can potentially delay the delivery of services, depriving the clientele of valuable
time, resources, and opportunities. Therefore, the argument suggests that development workers should prioritize meeting
immediate needs while maintaining an acceptable level of quality, considering the unique circumstances of development
work.

Traits of the Dev Com Practitioner

To understand the traits of a development communication practitioner, we will share excerpts from the diary of Ms. Cathy
Martinez, who worked as an Information Officer for the Azolla as Fertilizer for Rice and Vegetables Project of the Department
of Agriculture. Cathy's experiences, particularly during her time stationed in Benguet, provide valuable insights into the
practice of development communication. These excerpts offer a more vivid understanding of the traits exhibited by dev com
practitioners, surpassing any theoretical discussion or simple list of characteristics.
*Read in two columns starting from the left even in the succeeding pages*

Page 6 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

Page 7 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

Cathy's journal entries reveal the traits of the devcom worker: purposive, pragmatic, and value-driven. Furthermore, they
relate experiences that are common among us: our relationship with the community; our indifference towards difficulties;
and our knack for remedy or creative improvisation.

Page 8 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1/ OUTPUT 1

Use a different sheet of paper. Minimum of 2 short bond papers. Read all of Cathy’s Journal entries and create a written
output citing specific examples of how she demonstrated the different traits of a dev com worker: purposive, pragmatic,
and value-driven. Substantiate your examples using the concepts that were discussed in the previous modules. This will
be a culmination of all the theories and concepts discussed during this semester.

Page 9 of 10
 Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
Subject: Development Communication
Module No.: 4

REFERENCES

Brown, R. (1992). Key skills for writing and publishing research. Brisbane, Australia.

Cadiz, M. C. H. (1991). Educational communication for development: Basic concepts, theories, and know-how.
UPLB-CA, College, Laguna, Philippines.

Chalkley, A. B. (1970). A manual of development journalism. Manila: Philippine Press Institute and Shell Co. of
the Philippines.

Gomez, E. D. (1975). Using local radio stations in community development. Readings in Development
Communication. UPLB-CA, College, Laguna, Philippines.

Gomez, E. D. (1975). The concept of development broadcasting. Paper presented at the Seminar on
Development Communication, June 27-30, 1975. College of Agriculture, UP Los Baños, Philippines.

Haque, W. (1974). Development economics. Paper presented at the Advanced Course on Development
Journalism, U.N. Asian Institute for Economic Development and Planning and Press Foundation of Asia, May-July
1974.

Jamias, J. F. (1997). The plain and simple tale of science communication as proposed in the Institute of
Development Communication (a memoir).

Jamias, J. F. (1997). The philosophy of development communication. Readings in Development Communication.

UPLB-CA, College, Laguna, Philippines.

Page 10 of 10