Researching developmental uses and formats of rural radio: A development broadcasting approach

How should scholars approach the study of the developmental uses of rural radio? What is the theoretical framework within which to locate the study of rural radio formats employed as development communication? To answer these questions, this brief critique develops a theoretical matrix to be used as an analytical framework for positioning any discussion of rural radio as a development communication pathway. Building on rural radio case studies from the world over, the discussion propounds three trajectories encompassing linear-external, shared-bottom up and self-bottom up approaches, which formulate a matrix for understanding the use of rural radio in development.