Indian Journal of Extension Education

A study was conducted to investigate the Communication-media exposure of members of the SHGs involved in scientific fish culture inhabiting in the various blocks of Nadia district, West-Bengal which is among the economically and industrially backward districts of West Bengal A.ccordingly 4 blocks out of the total 17 blocks in this district was selected which were Haringhata, Chakdah, Karimpur-ll and Krishnanagar-l. Then by following stratified simple random sampling technique 120 self-help groups (30 groups from each block) involved in fisheries-activities was selected follwed by random selection of 2 members from each group and accordingly the number of total respondents for the study were 240. Within an ex-post-facto research design empirical & telephonic survey method was adopted in this study due to the global pandemic Covid-19 situation where the respondents were personally interviewed via telephonic interviews. The results revealed in Haringhata block more that half of the respondents(65%) had exposure to Newspaper, exposure percentage for Radio was 21.66 per cent, 78.33 per cent respondents had exposure to Telivision, 38.33 per cent utilized Pamphlets and Bulletins, 61.66 per cent respondents had exposure with various Exhibitions or Farmers festivals of their localities, Group meetings were attended by 81.66 per cent and exposure to films was only 25 per cent. In case of Chakdah block it was observed that respondents had exposure to communication media's like Newspapers (71.66%), Radio (21.66%), Television (76.66%), Pamphlets/Bulletins (46.66%), Farmers festivals/Exhibition (61.66%), Group meetings (75.00%) and Films (26.66%). In Karimpur-ll block it was observed that respondents had exposure to communication media's like Newspapers (70.00%), Radio (11.66%), Television (66.66%), Pamphlets/Bulletins (48.33%), Farmers festivals/Exhibition (56.66%), Group meetings (70.00%) and Films (28.33%). As for Krishnanagar-l block also we see that respondents had exposure to communication media's like Newspapers (70.00%), Radio (26.66%), Television (88.33%), Pamphlets/Bulletins (46.66%), Farmers festivals/Exhibition (71.66%), Group meetings (66.66%) and Films (28.33%). Exposure to mass media particularly television is also in a big way in rural areas which indicates good Material possession of respondents but their Social participation levels were low. Finally it was concluded that the overall communication-media exposure of the fisheries Self-help group members in Nadia district, West-Bengal was good but can be much better in the near future.