The Role of Mass Media and Press in Development of Rural Areas (Case Study: West Zarabad Sub-District in Konarak Township)

If the mass media and press are used in a targeted way in terms of native and traditional conditions of communities, particularly in marginalized areas, they can have a positive and deterministic role in the process of rural development. In this regrad, the researchers of present study have evaluated the role of the press and mass media in development of West Zarabad Sub-District, Konarak County located in the southern region of Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The methodology is descriptive-analytic based on completing questionnaires. Data analysis is conducted through the SPSS Software on the basis of descriptive and inferential statistics. Obtained results show very limited access to the media, relatively good public use of the media, and relatively favorable role of media in raising public awareness. However, the role played by the media in the development of rural areas is weak and almost imperceptive. In this regard, the television had the most and local media had the least effect. In terms of effectiveness, the various indices (except the raising awareness index) were ranked as poor in affecting development process. There was a significant difference among these indices in regard to the degree of media influence. The raising awareness index was the most and the index of participation in rural development projects, the least affected by media.