Political education in rural areas has to be disseminated through an effective medium which will overcome language difficult and illiteracy which serve as barriers to communication literacy.
So this study went into in-depth research and emergence with dependable result which proved radio is a very table tool for political education. This is because radio is the media that can break language barrier and also the medium capable of being used in rural areas where basic amenities like electricity has not stepped its foot.
For economics purpose, radio is also justified because almost all the rural dwellers can afford a radio set which would enlighten them in election principle and mobilizes them towards franchise exercise.
The commonness and familiarity of radio makes it possible for rural dwellers to understand messages aired through radio than other media like television and newspaper.
These facts are sub satiated with enough information, views and finding of many scholars and authorized.
Man, since inspection has been adveaturous inquisitive, innovation and inventive, searching for greater heights and development. These extended to the sphere of communication. He has attempted to transmit information over long distances so as to rise above his primitive methods, which only covered short distances.
These efforts has been today resulted in instant communication through radio, television etc.
It is commonly known that radio plays immeasurable roles in matters of public interest and political education which started as far back as 1888 when Hertz Heinrich produce the first radio wave. This was followed by other inventions including an Italian, Guliemo Marconi (Marconi 1892:16).
Csuliemo Marconi made a success of Heinrich Hertz’s theory of electro magnetic waves by making a compass needle turn at the time a spark jump between two waves on the other side of the room. Constructing a more elaborate transmitter, Marconi suet signals across the hill. With his mother’s help, he traveled to England and successfully demonstrated the device and received support from the British post office department. He patented the new “wireless telegraph” on June 2nd, 1896. This was the last contribution to the invention of radio, which is now a tool of political education in rural areas.
At the rinitrail stage, the device radio was bulky with an enormous antnna. However, Aborse Fleming (Fleming, 1904:163) patented a special receiving tube called Fleming valve is to amplify the incoming radio signals. It was improved again by another initiated lee, deforest who added a third element (forest 1929:164). His tube, “the Audio” was the main component of radio. The tube improved the reception capabilities aid popularity of the medium. This was how item radio came into being.
Most of the political education received in the rural areas which subsequently effects their voting patterns and decisions are received through radio. Many emirate scholars accepted this view among them is Edwin Emery, who said: “radio is every where, as a result of this, it serves as the available channel through which political leaders express their views and seek totally public backing for their polices (Emeriy 1973:61)
Politicians also recognize the role radio plays in the information of the public opinion. They are also aware of the changes assiocialised with misinjourining the masses especially in the society where the publics believe whatever they hear from the radio.
Radio is the most available and accessible tool for political education for the rural dwellers. This is because it serves both the elite and non-elite again it serves as a liquidity barrier breaker because of its ability to communicate in many languages. That is to say that radio is the most exploited tool for political education in the rural areas.
Since the revolutionary study of voting behavior by Paul LazerFeld and his associate “Lazerfeld elat 1984:151”, political research has focused mostly on predicting voting outcome with little attention given the sources of political education. It is therefore pertinent to delicate the important of radio as a tool for political education in the rural area. In the resent review of mass media and political campaigns, Atkins Charles noted that: “the most mass communication researchers studying political campaigns recognized that media messages significantly influence voters (Akins (1981:201)
A Nigerian scholar, Duyile in 1979 while appreciating the constraints of the rural dwellers, emphasized that. “The mass media: especially the radio provides the rural dwellers with appreciable political education in which they depend in making political decision in time of elections”.
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