A TRIBUTE TO EVERETT M. ROGERS
 Ev
Rogers, a mentor to a whole generation
of researchers and among the first to see the power
of entertainment education to change the world, passed away
in October 2004
As we grow older, it is natural to think about the meaning
of life and whether the meaning of our own life can be
translated into what might be recognized as “lasting
value”. “Making the world a better place” is
how this is often described and there is no better role
model for this concept than Everett M. Rogers, Distinguished
Professor Emeritus in the Department of Communication and
Journalism at the University of New Mexico. Ev’s
personal and professional contributions to the field of
entertainment-education stretch far and wide. In the early
1960’s he was among the first to recognize the power
of broadcast media to affect the lives of people on a global
scale. With others in a growing field, he saw the power
of storytelling…and especially serial drama…to
bring about social change, to empower those who might have
lost hope, and to inspire both individual and collective
efficacy through positive role models and the consequences
of their actions.
While others witnessed these developments, it fell to Ev
and his colleagues to access how they worked. In Asia, Africa
and Latin America as well as in the United States, Ev’s
landmark research and a host of books and articles stand
as a permanent record of just how useful entertainment can
be in pursuit of social justice and a better life for all.
He recognized that the power to prevent disease and to bring
about social development is often dependent on our ability
to communicate in a clear and compelling way…to reach
people in their own language and reflecting their cultural
heritage.
It was in Tanzania that Ev led the research team that studied
Twende na Wakati, the first time that an entire nation was
considered in a comparative field study. By studying the
attitudes and behavior of those who heard a socially motivated
soap opera on national radio and comparing their actions
with those who did not hear the series, he was able to demonstrate
that the ancient art of storytelling and modern methods of
broadcasting can literally improve health and save lives
on a massive scale.
Ev was a mentor to an entire generation of experts in communication
theory and practice. He never failed to give freely of his
time and talent, traveling great distances to share the wisdom
and experience of his years and his work. In his later years,
Ev and his colleague and friend Arvind Singhal turned their
attention to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and once again, he helped
to point the way toward combating the disease, sharing best
practices in communicating information and using entertainment-education
to fullest advantage.
Population Communications International (PCI) has lost a
partner and a friend. The field of entertainment-education
has lost a giant in teaching and in scholarly research. But
throughout Ev’s career, all of us have gained in knowledge,
in wisdom and in a fundamental awareness that we have it
in our power to make a difference. Ev Rogers made a difference
and we are all better for it.
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