Influences Of Mass Media On Extension Of Agricultural Technology

What mass media transmit is news and information, which is closely related to every walk of life. As for extension of agricultural technology, the special function of communicating and spreading played by mass media makes the two even more tightly connected. China is a agricultural super-nation. Still not so developed, agriculture in China, to some extent, increasingly relies on mass media for technology to be demonstrated, extended and promoted. Mass media and extension of agricultural technology, with influences and effects interrelated within in them, has become a newly developing discipline, but so far it has not attracted enough attention and study.The present research intends to study what role newspaper, one traditional form of mass media, plays in extension of agricultural technology. Through case study, interview and data collected, the study focuses on such projects as comprehensive administration of Yellow-Huai-Hai Plain during the 7th 5-year plan to 9th 5-year plan, research on sustainable development of agriculture at Yellow-Huai-Hai Plain, and year of agricultural technology in 2003. Systematic analysis of leading function, various influences, and new trends in future of mass media in extension of agricultural technology is presented. The characteristics of new type of agricultural technology extension under the affect of mass media, models of production-study-research system is discussed and suggested as well.Advocated in this study is the notion of "extension of agricultural technology through news broadcast", which emphasizes on the importance of news broadcast, since the development of new technology requires the specialization in mass media. Mass media and interpersonal media may function differently at different places, on different occasions, among different people. These differences reflect the complementary relationship between mass media and agricultural technology extension.The research also claims that one of the wrong notions in the application of mass media in agricultural technology extension is the tendency of falsity and exaggeration. The study analyzes the causes and harmfulness of such tendency, and points out the ways to ensure the truth and efficiency in mass media and agricultural technology extension.