Abstract It has been widely documented that the effectiveness of any development programme depends to a large extent on the media of communication employed to communicate development messages, as well as the level of community acceptance and participation of the development programme. Thus there have been several research efforts in the area of development studies, particularly on the use of strategic communication to achieve sustainable development. This study examines, comparatively, the different ways in which traditional modes of communication, contemporary mass media and the new media can be employed to achieve sustainable development in a rural area. Using survey design, a 20-item questionnaire was administered to 200 respondents in Okija Community, Anambra State. The data generated were analyzed using frequency distribution and simple percentage. Study findings indicate that appropriate integration of contemporary media, the new media and traditional communication system is the best communication strategy that will meet and sustain development goals in rural areas. Key Words: Media Availability, Media Accessibility, Media Use, Development, Rural Community. JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 6, No. 1, April 2014, 119 – 135 ©Delmas Communications Ltd. About the authors *Dr. Godson Okwuchukwu Okafor, Ph.D. is with the Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. **Chinonye Faith Malizu is with the Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. Full Article Words: 7,196; Pages: 17
Okafor et al. (Mon,) studied this question.