A Study on the Role of the Media and its Effect on the Identity of Muslims (Part 18)
The view of scientists about the role of mass communication tools in the Third World
Rao states that when new information and ideas are brought from outside to remote villages separated from industrial communities, change and transformation will follow. Based on his extensive research on the role of mass communication tools in the Third World, Wilbur Schramm asserts that encouraging people in developing countries to make informed decisions about development and creating a platform for their effective participation, as well as accelerating and harmonizing desired developments, is generally not an inflexible or uncertain process. If the flow of communication allows, people can set goals and make decisions regarding when and how to enact change and what they want to transform their society into.
Schramm also expresses an optimistic view about the role of mass media in national development: “Mass media can contribute to raising and improving the quality of the amount and types of information available to people in developing countries. They can expand horizons; help transfer thought and elevate the level of individual and national thought. They can do all this directly.”
What is significant in Wilbur Schramm’s study of Third World countries is the assertion that economic development is only possible if social development is realized, and social development requires the expansion of education and information. Therefore, it should be acknowledged that mass communication will have a definitive effect on cultural development, which, in turn, facilitates economic development. To expand agriculture and industry, social investments should be promoted, implying the use of human resources, with education being the primary factor.
Leonard Dub, a professor at Yale University, has achieved valuable results in his research in Africa. In his report, dub notes that African people, living in diverse societies, have created their own special communication channels over time and in various ways, fulfilling their needs within specific time frames.
As the people of Africa hastily adopt works and values from the West, they become increasingly dependent on the means of publication and development, particularly the means of mass communication and culture, which they have absorbed. Contemporary Africa exhibits a blend of modern and traditional communication systems. This duality reflects both the changes being made and the significant influence of these changes. Dub’s observations in Africa support Lerner’s and Rao’s theories. The research findings of these scientists underscore the crucial role that information plays during periods of cultural change and transformation, highlighting the strong correlation between the development of communication systems and social and economic growth.
Paulo Freire, a Brazilian thinker, critically examines Western ruling models in the context of economic growth and social development. In recent years, he has addressed the role of communication in the modernization of countries worldwide. Freire posits that current communication and educational systems function as networks of domination and subjugation for people in the Third World. He believes that merely transferring information from a powerful source of knowledge to passive recipients does not positively impact their personal development or foster independent, critical self-awareness. Consequently, he suggests that the existing educational system—which he terms “banking education,” based on the passive reception of accumulated information from teachers—should be transformed into a system that empowers the oppressed.
Today’s world faces issues that differ from those of the past; therefore, it is essential to analyze these issues from a fresh perspective. The nature of global challenges, the general problems arising from them, and the reasons for these issues being placed on the international agenda provide insight into the political dynamics of the early 21st century. This policy landscape is no longer strictly tied to East-West relations and historical isms; instead, communication and media emerge as significant factors. Thus, if proper planning is not undertaken, we can anticipate adverse consequences for Islamic societies, often categorized as part of the Third World.
