Waving the flag for development communication: Why there is still hope for communication research

Abstract

From the debated Modernisation paradigm all the way to the participatory and inclusive approaches for social change, development communication research has given rise to a stimulating scholarly discussion that has introduced both theoretical and evidence-based claims, which are contributing constructively to the evolvement of this discipline. By addressing a number of points that have been raised as evidence of a decline in communication research, this article discusses how development communication research has followed a parallel but different path from other areas of communication research and has slowly but successfully made an important contribution to the field of communication.