Mass Communication Theories

ICOM 110: March-June

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Introduction

 So far, we have looked at:

 Functions of mass communication
 Different models of mass communication
 We therefore need to look at theories
communication is viewed by scholars

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Theories of Mass Communication

 A theory is a supposition or a system of ideas

intended to explain something basing its
general principles independent of thing being
explained
 A theory does not only offer known facts, but
they also make predictions of what they
should observe if the theory is true

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Theories of Mass Communication
(cont…)

 Theories of mass communication are

therefore types of rational and abstract
thinking about a phenomenon or results of
such thinking
 Its accepted beliefs or organised principles
that explain and guide analysis

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Theories of Mass Communication
(cont…)

 Theories of mass communication discussed are:

 Hypodermic theory
 Two-step theory
 Multi-step theory
 Uses and gratification theory
 Agenda setting theory
 Spiral of silence theory
 Framing
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Uses and gratification theory

 This is an approach to studying mass

communication that looks at the reasons why
audience members choose to spend some
time with the media in terms of the wants and
needs of the audience members that are
being fulfilled.

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Agenda-setting theory

 This is the process of media influence

(intended or unintended) by which the
relative importance of news events, issues or
personages in the public mind are affected
by the order of presentation or relative
salience in the news reports.

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Agenda-setting theory (cont…)

 The assumption is that the more the media

gives attention to a topic the greater is the
importance attributed to it by the media
audience.
 In this case, media influence is not in the
direction of opinion but on what people think
about.

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Spiral of silence theory

 The term was first used by Elizabeth Noelle-

Neumann to refer to a tendency for those
who think that they hold a minority or deviant
view to refrain from expressing it in public
which increases the dominance of the
supposed agreement.
 The hypothesis is based on ‘fear of isolation’.

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Spiral of silence theory (cont…)

 The main thrust of the theory is to contribute

to the media’s powerful effect since they are
the main source of what people think is the
dominant opinion of the moment.
 Hence, people who have a view different to
that of media may avoid expressing it
thereby leading to the dominance of the
majority’s view.

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Framing theory

 This refers to the way in which news content is

shaped and contextualised by journalists within
some familiar frame of reference and according
to some latent structure of meaning.
 According to this theory, the audience is
thought to adopt the frames of reference
offered by journalists

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Hypodermic theory

 This is also called one-step flow of

communication theory or bullet theory.
 This theory views media messages as being
capable of manipulating the audiences at will
just like a magic bullet shot directly to the
receiver.
 It shows media as being extremely powerful
and the audiences as naïve and malleable.

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Hypodermic theory (cont…)

 It views the audience as passive and

defenceless and takes everything shot at
them.
 However, media audiences have different
knowledge, abilities, beliefs, opinions,
prejudices, values, needs and personalities
and would therefore respond differently to
different media messages.

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Two-step Flow

 Paul Lazarsfield’ 1940 study of Presidential

election in United States revealed that voters
were not directly influenced by the mass
media but rather interpersonal relationships
with other people particularly opinion leaders
who first had access to mas media
information.

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Two-step Flow

 Hence, this theory states that information

flows from mass media sources to the
opinion leaders who then passes it to less
active sections of the population.
 Hence, information received in this way is
second hand and could sometimes be
different from the original as opinion leaders
may add their own interpretation while
conveying it to others.
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Two-step (cont…)

 Opinion leaders are therefore valuable linkers in

a two step flow of information.
 The opinion leaders though not elected, are
more knowledgeable, modern, educated and
influential both socially and economically than
other fellow members of society.

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Two-step Flow (cont…)

 Hence, they are relied for ideas, information

and guidance.
 However, one of the short comings of this
theory is that it diminishes the original direct
influence of mass media.

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Multi-step Flow

 Further studies on opinion leaders led to the

modification and reconstitution of the two
step concept into multistep flow due to
multidirectional influence of opinion leaders.
 In this case the influence of opinion leaders
is not only downwards when they sought to
interpret media messages to the audiences,
but also upwards to media houses as they
tell media houses how to do their job and
sidewards when they share insights with ICOM 110
Multi-step Flow (cont…)

 Hence, both two step and multi-step flow

theories discredit the direct influence of mass
media due to extraneous influences,
interpersonal links and social relations of
audiences which are often complex,
multidirectional and multidimensional.

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Conclusion

 In this lecture we have looked at:

 Hypodermic theory
 Two-step theory
 Multi-step theory
 Uses and gratification theory
 Agenda setting theory
 Spiral of silence theory
 Framing
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