An Examination Of The Traditional Communication Methods And Modern Mass Media In Rural Communities: (A Case Study Of Elebele Community)
ABSTRACT
This study was aimed at examining the traditional communication methods and modern mass media in rural communities, with case study of Elebele Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. As a result of the emergence of development and urbanization, there became in existence, alongside each other two systems of communication – the traditional mode of communication which has been in existence since time immemorial and the modern medium of mass communication. Therefore, based on the above situation in hand, it became necessary to find out the roles the modern mass media of communication play in comparison to the traditional modes of communication in the rural areas. The study is significant because it highlights the effectiveness of both traditional and modern media of communication in the rural areas, especially since the study has not been done in this area in the past. Thus, the result of the study reveals the following: the people of Elebele prefer to use the traditional means of communication to the modern one; the educated ones will adapt easily to the modern ways of communication than the uneducated one; the poor ones among the Elebele people prefer to use the traditional modes of communication than the rich ones; and the Elebele people that have electricity in their houses and who use modern media of communication are few to be significant when compared to those people who do not have electricity in their houses and still use the modern media of communication. All these were attributed to a number of factors that were treated exhaustively in the latter part of the study. Conclusively, the study revealed that the modern media of communication is not quite suitable as a means of communication in the rural area, most especially because as a result of its high cost, it is unaffordable to the rural people who are mostly poor, and because most of the people are illiterates, it requires no education for understanding. On the other hand, traditional modes of communication are available to the rural people at no material cost and require no education for understanding. As a result, this has made the traditional mode of communication the most acceptable in the rural areas. viii