ABSTRACT
In terms of the volume of the messages transmitted, and the speed as well as the efficiency with which these are channelled directly and economically to audiences of virtually any size, mass communication would seem to have advantages over traditional word-of-mouth communication. The pattern of mass-media exposure was similar to what one would expect in a transitional society. Urbanites were the major mass-media consumers while rural villagers for the most part remained on the fringe of mass communication. To determine attitudes towards mass-media news, the urban respondents were asked to select their favourite newspaper and radio station from among those which were read and listened to regularly. To illustrate the importance of interpersonal communication in the Ciskei, an attempt was made to establish the credibility of selected opinion leaders in the rural and urban areas who were considered potential sources of news not derived from the mass media.
