Michael McBride

11/30/16
Professor Shirene McKay
COMM 2050-425

The Spiral of Silence

Introduction
Despite coming out in the 1970s the Spiral of Silence theory is still one
of the most studied communication theories today; but a look at how social
media has changed communication will give the theory a modern update. By
defining the theory and its approaches, I will evaluate its current state and
make suggestions for improvements for todays digital age. Whether we like
it or not our world is changing, people are constantly connected, constantly
communicating. This digital tether is effecting all communication, and along
with that, many communication theories. Is the Spiral of Silence still muting
those in the minority when they are communicating digitally?
Theory Definition and Approaches
Spiral of Silence Theory explores how an individual is less likely to
speak out if they have a differing opinion from the majority. Using her
research from as early as the 30s or 40s on the medias influence on public
opinion, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann conceptualized the Spiral of Silence
theory in the early 70s. Noelle-Neumann published a number of works but
was best known for Die Schweigespirale: ffentliche Meinung unsere
soziale Haut (The Spiral of Silence: Public Opinion - Our Social Skin), which
described why individuals in the minority on a particular issue might be
unwilling to speak out, and as fewer in the minority speak out, a spiral
occurs, and minority viewpoints disappear. Fear of isolation is a key
motivation for some not to speak out (Childs 2010).
Living in Germany and during World War II seeing firsthand the
powerful influence the media could have, Noelle-Neumann had a particular
interest in how so many could be silenced. Nazi-Germany is a perfect
example of how people are less likely to speak out against the opinions of
the majority. With promise to restore the German people after devastating
losses in World War I, Adolf Hitler quickly gained power and influence.
Although not everyone shared his anti-Semitic views, by the time the
concentrations camps, like Auschwitz, sprang up it was too late. Since it was
published in Die Schweigespirale: ffentliche Meinung unsere soziale Haut,
the Spiral of Silence has been tested time and time again. As explained in

the course material, The Spiral of Silence theory falls into the
Empirical/Scientific approach because researchers compiled large amounts
of data, opinion polls, and questionnaires to determine why some people
voiced their opinion and others did not (McKay 2016).

Current Theory Status

Today, the Spiral of Silence Theory is still widely studied at Universities
all over the world, like in our online classroom. With online communication,
people seem to be more likely to voice how they actually feel. If we take a
look at our online class compared against a standard classroom setting, we
can see this taking place. Typically, in a classroom a teacher will encourage
discussion on the topic being studied. As teacher and students communicate
it is often easy to pick up on a particular biases and they will direct the
conversation. Students with differing opinions will often remain silent or
voice an opinion contrary to what they actually believe, unless they are
hard core. Described by Noelle-Neumann these individuals (or groups) are
willing to speak out at any cost (421 West). Looking at this same discussion
online we may find some variations. In an online class everyone is given
equal opportunity to share what they have learned and their opinions on the
subject, often being graded on the responses they give to their peers. This
method encourages those who would otherwise be silent to speak up and
voice their opinions. With the movement of mass communication to digital
formats, sources like the news, educators, and journalists no longer have a
monopoly on public opinion. Digital media is Social Media. On-line
commentators are much more likely to speak their opinion than past
generations, essentially eliminating the spiral of silence.
In a recent article published by International Symposium On Online
Journalism, Hans K. Meyer and Burton Speakman explored recent studies
that look into how the Spiral of Silence is effects by these online resources.
Porten-Che and Eilders (2015) found that online dissonance actually made
members of the public more likely to speak about a topic. Familiarity and
comfort within the online environment was the key determination of their
willingness to comment online (Porten-Che & Eilders, 2015). In a similar
vein, people who consider an issue important are more likely to comment
despite others opinions (Ho, Chen & Sim, 2013). However, the bulk of Spiral
of Silence research suggests that having a minority opinion remains the key

detriment to online participation (Schulz & Roessler, 2012) (Meyer &

Speakman, 2016).
Theory Evaluation
The Spiral of Silence Theory has shown great testability since its
introduction in the 70s, no matter the group, results hold true to what
Noelle-Neumann proposed. In fact, I was able to easily test it myself. At a
recent friends birthday party, I decided to apply the Spiral of Silence Theory,
to see how opinions have been persuaded by not only mass media, but
opinions of the group we were in. Music has played a big role in my life, I
spent a number of years devoted to the local punk rock scene where mass
media is constantly questioned. From what is being portrayed in the news to
what kind of music is popular, there is often a representation of dual
climates of opinion. With my friends I focused in on the music everyone was
listening to. To my surprise as the night went on the opinions of the group
began to change, and individuals who felt one way would change their
opinion as the night progressed. When I first arrived I did not know many
people, this was a party thrown by my friends new girlfriend who had invited
a number of her own friends. As we were talking I brought up music and
asked what people were listening to and who their favorite bands were.
Keeping my opinions to myself I listened to the responses. I love the
Chainsmokers one girl said. That new 21 Pilots song on the radio is
awesome came from another. As this was happening I quickly googled top
40 songs and both of these bands were in the top 5. This was a great
example of consonance, the belief that people in the media confirm each
others opinions making it look like these opinions are coming from the
public. As the night progressed a number of my own friends showed up. I
have been listening to and playing music with a number of them for years. I
knew what they liked, and it was definitely not in the top 40. As the group
was talking at dinner I asked a friend of mine who was not afraid to share his
distaste for music on the radio how he felt about popular music today. In the
Spiral of Silence Theory this friend would be described as hard core because
he is willing to speak out at any cost, even if he is in the minority. As he
expressed his opinion many of my other friends jumped in with him. Those
who did not like top 40 songs were now in the vocal majority, and I began to
see a last-minute swing from those who had spoken earlier. They were
changing from loving the Chainsmokers, to saying that the songs are catchy
but not the best. It was powerful to see how easily opinion could be swayed
when it was clear that a belief was in the majority.
In my opinion the test of time is both a strength and a weakness of the
theory. If online communication is taken out of the picture Noelle-Neumanns

theory would remain consistent. But in the last ten years there has been a
major shift in how the general public gathers and receives information.
People are largely using digital media sources for their news and public
speaking forums. Politics have always been a hot topic, with many people
taking hard core stances, but as we look at the most recent elections, online
communication took on a whole new role. People sought out information with
google searches and were lured by advertisements on social media, it was
not just major news sources and televised rallies and debates. It could also
be argued that a folly in online communication cost one candidate the
presidential seat. With actions like this it is hard to ignore the power that
online communication has on our world today.
Improvements to Theory
In order to bridge the gap in communication and the silencing thereof,
some revisions could be made to Noelle-Neumanns original theory. A study of
social media and other online sources will expose new patterns of
communication. Elisabeth Noelle-Neumanns Spiral of Silence Theory speaks
of how when in a minority people are less likely to speak their opinions. Since
it was proposed in 1974 this theory has been studied over and over, but with
recent technological developments there are some alterations that need to
be made to the theory. In todays world social media has given a voice to
anyone with an internet connection and an opinion. When speaking online
the same fear of consequence does not exist and there is little to no pressure
to support your argument with facts or even logic. It is impossible to deny
the power of social media in todays world, if we look again at the recent
political races. Every candidate had a strong online presence and the
president-elect had his twitter account taken away from his campaign
managers in fear that something tweeted could sway votes.
According to Alexander Hopkins article in Inquires Journal
Researchers felt that the online opinion climate did not function properly as
an effective lab for the Spiral of Silence. Ho & McLeod (2008) found that
participants were more likely to express their opinion regarding same-sex
message online than in-person (pp. 201-202). Similarly, Liu & Fahmy (2011)
found that the opinion climate on same-sex marriage was mostly unrelated
with online opinion expressions, thus indicating that online opinion
expressions are not affected as much by the "silencing" effect (pp. 52-54).
Study of how social media and other online sources will expose new patterns
of communication, revealing how pressures that silence an individual are
different on the web than in person. With Noelle-Neumann's study in mind,
it is possible to postulate that the internet is less than an ideal environment
for the Spiral of Silence. First of all, the internet contains opinions that do

span widely across sex, age, occupation, income, and residence. Second, the
"millennial" generation are the most tech-savvy generation yet. As such, this
younger generation is skilled with using media to convey their views, thus
providing evidence that younger generations are more likely to express their
views (Hopkins).
Conclusion
The Spiral of Silence Theory developed by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann
refers to the tendencies of people to remain silent when they feel that their
views are in opposition to the majority view on a subject (Gavin, 2014).
Since its introduction in 1974 the Empirical/Scientific approach of the theory
has been tested time after time with the same results; the silencing of those
whose opinions differ from the majority. But in todays digital era there are
new ways of communicating that are effecting the spiral. As the test of time
moves forward I believe we will continue to see communication changes as
digital forums will become more prevalent. While I do not think this will break
or reverse the spiral the effects of digital communication can be seen
almost everywhere. When was the last time you were on a crowded elevator
without someone looking at their phone? This new digital wave of
communication is changing the way our world talks with one another, it is
almost impossible to keep someone totally disconnected. With a world
population of 7.4 billion, no matter what your opinion is, there is a good
chance you can find someone on the world wide web who feels the same and
is willing to speak up.

References
Childs, David. "Elisabeth Noelle Neumann: Pioneer of Public-opinion Polling
and Market Research." The Independent. Independent Digital News and
Media, 9 Apr. 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.
Ho, S. S., Chen, V. H. H. & Sim, C. C. (2013). The Spiral of Silence: Examining
how cultural predispositions, news attention, and opinion congruency
relate to opinion expression. Asian Journal of Communication, 23(2),
113-134.
Hopkins, Alexander E. "Effects of the "Spiral of Silence" in Digital Media."
Inquiries Journal 07.09 (2015): Spiral of Silence Theory1+.
Inquiriesjournal.com. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
Gavin, Davie. "Spiral of Silence." Mass Communication Theory., 21 May 2014.
Web. 28 Nov. 2016.
McKay, Shirene. "Spiral of Silence Theory." Spiral of Silence Theory: COMM2050-425-F16. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.
Meyer, Hans K., and Speakman, Burton. "Quieting the Commenters: The
Spiral of Silences Persistent Effect on Online News Forums." #ISOJ.
International Symposium On Online Journalism, 14 Apr. 2016. Web. 23
Nov. 2016.
Porten-Che, P. & Eilders, C. (2015). Spiral of silence online: How online
communication affects opinion climate perception and opinion
expression regarding the climate change debate. Studies in
Communication Sciences,15(1), 143-150.
West, Richard, and Lynn H. Turner. "Spiral of Silence Theory." Introducing
Communication Theory: Analysis and Application. New York: McGrawHill, 2007. 410-425. Print