Content Analysis of the Desa Apps Application as a New Media in Agricultural Extension

Agricultural extension is a non-formal education process for farmers to change their knowledge, attitudes and skills to improve farmer family's welfare. Agricultural extension media is used by extension worker to deliver information. Extension media get more modern along with the development of technology. One of the new media that can support agricultural extension is called as Desa Apps. The method used in this research is content analysis. Data is verified by using triangulation of source and researcher. The aims of this research are (1) identifying the features contained in the Desa Apps application as a new media in agricultural extension and (2) analyzing the kind of information, interactions and transactions, that are contained in Desa Apps as a new media in agricultural extension. This research is conducted towards the 'article' menu as a source of information, 'question and answer' menu as an interaction media and 'market' menu as a medium of marketing in the Desa Apps. The results show that Desa Apps as a new media have information features on the article menu based on facts, attractiveness toward readers, usefulness for readers, completeness of article content, description of problems and grammar and fairness for differences in views. The interaction feature on the question and answer menu has fulfilled the indicators of extension worker's role as motivators, innovators and communicators. The market menu in Desa Apps are measured with marketplace components. The result of the study suggests that Desa Apps is feasible as a new media in agricultural extension because it has three features that support agricultural extension activities.