Harnessing participatory media technology for community development : choices and implications for practitioners

Communication plays an important role in social change processes in a society. Since communication is the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people, effective communication in development must include both top down and bottom up approaches in message exchange. That is, it should not only communicate what powerful elites want to say, but also facilitate a better understanding of what the people want in order to improve their own lives. While mass media is still widely used in disseminating messages about development, what is less understood is how effective participatory communication practices can be integrated in community development projects to give people a greater voice. How can participatory practices be initiated and sustained and what are some of the tools that can aid effective participation? This article discusses viable ways in which participatory media may be included to enable communities to gain ownership of projects by voicing their own ideas and concerns. It also considers implications for development practitioners who choose to employ participatory communication technologies to improve, facilitate, and optimise local community engagement.