Diffusion of Innovation and Globalization of New Media in Third World Countries

New information and communications technologies are among the driving forces of globalization, bringing people together and giving decision-makers unprecedented new tools for development. Through the use of the Internet, webcasting, e-mail, video conferencing, video news release, social media platforms, blogs and other social networking sites, political, cultural and socio-economic messages are built both online and offline and supports that push debates and social movements are reinforced. This paper notes that the newness characteristic of an innovation adoption is related to the knowledge, persuasion, and decision steps of Rogers’ diffusion of the innovation theory process. The paper further contends that globalization of media and the increasing use of new media technologies are reconstructing the nature of the relationship that existed between the media and developing countries. The world is becoming digitalized but because of low diffusion and utilization of new media technologies, the developed nations have advanced into technological revolution, leaving the Third World countries to plod along. This paper identifies several challenges distressing the primary diffusion process of new media innovation in developing countries like Nigeria. Nonetheless, it concludes that so long as the new media plays positive roles in the advancement of global media communication, there is hope for media development in Third world countries.