Realizations on Development Communication
DevCom: Making it Viral
Comparing personal experience to just mere observation on
how mass communication really works, I can’t help but wonder why with
development communication it seems it is not well practiced.
But upon learning what development communication really is,
I understand its existence, it is being around but it is not that exposed like
what we used to have with the traditional media where we can see and hear everywhere
from TV, radio, print, billboards, internet or social media. People are so much
exposed on what the traditional media is giving to them because of its entertainment
value.
Since most of the time, the topics for development
communication are on more serious stuff especially if it involves advocacies, some
people tend to ignore it. But I do remember with the campaign on bringing your
own environment friendly bag (eco-bag) instead of using plastic bags to the
malls, most people join the advocacy. First to experience it was Los Banos, Laguna.
Because of the success of the campaign, residents and even tourists get used to
it and become cooperative and everyone is doing it. Then other cities follow
suit and it is becoming successful. I believed that bringing of own eco-bag to
be used to whenever buying grocery items was campaigned properly and was
explained thoroughly to its target audience. For me this is already an example of devcom
making it VIRAL.
It is also said that with devcom, it uses the same medium as
traditional media in bringing its message to its people. It is just that it
creates more public awareness. If this is the case, the more it should be viral
especially now with the help of social media this should happen more. Sharing,
posting, blogging about certain advocacies through Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress
and other means of communication through the internet more people will become
aware of it and many people can help spread the awareness. For me it is really
time to make any DevCom topic to make it VIRAL.
People need not only to be entertained and informed, they need to learn and
be exposed to what is right, proper and appropriate for them.
With the use of media, making influence is so easy, so why
not use it the proper way. There are many topics or issues that need to be addressed
like about environment, education, sustainable agriculture, health, poverty,
gender issues, equality and others alike. It is time to make awareness for each
one of it and spread the news about it.
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