USE OF MASS MEDIA BY AGRICALTURAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERS

Abstract

The main objective of this study were to determine and describe the use of mass media by the Sub Assistant Agriculture Officers (SAAOs) in receiving agricultural information and the characteristics of the SAAOs and also to explore the relationship between the use of mass media and selected characteristics of professional leaders. The selected characteristics were age, family size, annual income, rural orientation, tenure of service, training received, social participation, cosmppoliteness and Job satisfaction. Data were collected from 80 SAAOs of three upazillas (Sadar, Kendua. Purbadhala) under Netrokona disirict through using a structured interview schedule during 3T February to 20' March 2008. Appropriate scales were developed in order to measure the concerned variables A statistical software package named SPSS was used to analyze the data and Karl Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient were used to test the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The findings revealed that 66.3 percent of the respondents had medium use of mass media, while 20 and 13.7 percent had high and low use respectively. The preferences of use of mass media by the SAAOs were leaflet, television, SAAO diai, poster, krishi kotha, bulletin, lblder, booklet, prothom alo. radio, jugantor, krishi biplob. aniardesh, nayadaganta and internet. The findings also revealed that annual income, tenure of service, traimng received, social participation, cosmppoliteness and job satisfaction had significant positive relationship with the use of mass media by the SAAOs. However, rural orientation of the respondent had significant negative relationship while age and fbmily size of the SAAOs had no relationship with their use of mass media in receiving agricultural information. Nonetheless findings reveal that 76.3 percent of the SAAOs fell into the medium problem laced categoiy while 17.5 and 6.2 percent SAAOs faced low and high problems respectively.