A Study of Awareness, Perception, Use and Challenges of Information and Communication Technology Among Public Relations Practitioners in Anambra State, Nigeria

The study sought to discover the awareness, perception, use and challenges of Information and Communication Technologies among Public Relations practitioners in Anambra state. Guided by four research questions, and anchored on the Technological Determinism theory, the study adopted a survey research design with the sample size of 98 respondents. The researchers discovered that PR practitioners in Enugu state are significantly aware of Information and Communication Technology in their daily professional practice. They also found out that PR practitioners perceive ICT as an essential tool for public relations practice; they as well see ICT as a significantly helpful tool that enables PR practitioners in Anambra state effectively discharge their duties. Furthermore, they perceived ICT tools as expensive and that it needs a lot of professional training for its effective use. The researchers similarly perceived these ICT tools as complementary, rather than displacing the old media of PR. The study also revealed that PR practitioners in Anambra state largely make use these tools in their daily professional practice. They also discovered that high cost of ICT gadgets, poor access and low internet penetration, poor power supply and lack of training in ICT remain the predominant challenges that PR practitioners face while carrying out their professional duties.