Safe
Water System Manual
ANNEX
H:
POTENTIAL CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
Interpersonal
Channels
Interpersonal
channels include community meetings, door to door visits, health worker/client
interactions, interactions between shopkeepers or other sales agents and their
customers, teacher/student interactions and any other direct communication through
project staff or peers.
The
advantages of interpersonal channels compared with other channels include:
·
ease of approach for smaller projects
· potential to use locally appropriate
terms
· allows selective targeting of specific groups
· high
impact in communities
· effectiveness in rural areas where there is
greater community cohesiveness and potential for sharing information by word of
mouth
· message delivery is interactive with the potential for discussion
and clarification of messages
· potential for incorporating novel approaches
like motivational interviewing
· increased efficiency when well-traveled,
well-connected persons in the society are the communicators
Disadvantages
of interpersonal channels compared with other channels include:
·
low coverage and low rate of message repetition per person
· relatively
high costs per person reached
· if special staff added for a promotional
campaign, coverage of a target population requires large numbers of staff for
a short term campaign or long term staff inputs for a longer campaign; high salary,
training and transport costs
· staff drop out
· less effective
in urban areas and among other less cohesive communities.
Local
Media
Local
media can include drama, songs sung by traditional musicians, puppet shows, storytelling,
or public announcements by religious leaders or other local leaders at community
gatherings. Local media can be useful for raising awareness, generating interest
and discussion, and may be effective in improving acceptance.
Advantages
of local media include:
·
communities can easily identify with the source of the information
·
messages can be delivered using the most locally appropriate language and terminology
·
messages delivered in an entertaining way may be better remembered
Potential
disadvantages of local media channels are:
·
relatively low audience exposure to messages or repetition of messages, because
dramas or performances may only happen occasionally
· messages may be
missed if people focus on the entertainment or if the messages are difficult to
understand
Mass
Media
Mass
media include radio, television, video, films and cassettes. These channels can
increase awareness and interest, and convey messages in a dramatic and meaningful
way. Access to mass media is increasing rapidly in developing countries and radio
ownership is high, particularly in urban centers.
Advantages
of mass media include:
·
wide coverage
· low cost per person reached
· messages can
be focused on a target audience by attaching them to mass media programs that
reach the target audience. Soap operas on radio and television are especially
good channels for conveying messages because they are ongoing and provide the
opportunity to convey more complicated messages and repeat them frequently.
·
are effective to motivate individuals to purchase and use products by associating
them with a desired lifestyle
Disadvantages
of mass media include:
·
Not everyone has access to mass media (less access in rural areas, poorer people).
·
Preparing radio and television spots can be expensive, though donors or government
sponsored stations may give free airtime.
· Message delivery is not
interactive.
· Areas and people reached by broadcasts may not correspond
with areas targeted for the project.
Printed
Materials
Printed
materials include posters, labels on vessels or disinfectant containers, sales
brochures, leaflets, newspapers and newsletters. They encourage people to take
action, convey information quickly and reach many people.
Advantages
of printed materials include:
·
Labels, brochures, leaflets are a useful channel for providing instructions. Even
if people cannot read, they generally have access to someone who can explain instructions
to them. Labels have the advantage of always being available when a product is
used.
· Newsletters can be useful to update health workers or sales
outlets about information such as changes in product availability, progress of
the project, and answers to frequently-asked questions.
Disadvantages
of printed materials include:
·
Printed materials may not reach people who need them. Posters must be placed where
many people will see them. Leaflets must be distributed carefully to reach many
people. Printed materials must be re-supplied to clinics, sales outlets, and other
distributors such as neighborhood health committees.
· Some cultures
are not used to receiving information in written form. Some languages and dialects
do not have a written form. Some people are not literate.
· Some terms
may not be understood. Pictures may be misinterpreted. (These disadvantages can
be overcome with pre-testing and by combining print materials with face to face
interactions in which terms, pictures and messages can be explained.)
·
Unless printed materials are well designed and tested, they may not convey the
intended messages to the audience.
