A ctivity deeper understanding of audience psychology and their socio-cultural background. . Entertainment : Both, traditional and modern communication media provide a wide variety of entertainment options starting from folk media and oral tradition to Direct to Home (DTH) telecast. Even for educational purposes media is used in an entertaining form to make learning easy and interesting.
. Interpretation : Use of communication media, particularly pictographic presentations, and facts and figures make many difficult and complicated concepts easy to understand. For example, it is easy to locate and understand a geographical area with the help of a cartographic map or model of a globe than merely reading about it in a textbook. .
Transmission of values : Media is expected to foster development of a healthy society by the transmission of wholesome values. For example, use of puppetry and cartoon films for teaching values through the story format that are attractive options. . Education or training : New learning experiences with the help of appropriate communication media in local language, and focussing on local problems always enrich the teaching–learning experience.
These include interactive instruction video and audio cassettes, and discs of basic printed teaching-learning material on various concepts. . Coordination : Due to the introduction of modern interactive communication technologies, distance and physical proximity has become less important. Pace, scope and accuracy of communication has expanded to such an extent that it has now become very easy to sit in one place and coordinate large projects spread over a vast geographical area.
. Behavioural change : All extension education activities related to varied fields, be it health, literacy, environmental issues, empowerment programmes and adoption of innovations depend largely on the art and technique of effective communication. Media remains the main vehicle for the transmission of useful messages, acceptance of which leads to direct and indirect behavioural change in the target people. .
Development: Media is a catalyst (medium) in national development. Communication mediates between specialists and lay persons. Thus, communication occupies a pivotal position in the process of development. Media has accelerated the pace of development and made the world smaller by bringing people closer through communication.
Both communication and media employ modern technology for reaching out to people. We will read about this in the next section.