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The Hypodermic Needle Model
From the early 1900’s Hypodermic needle theory was first used to explain how audiences react to mass media. It suggests audiences receive information transmitted by media text and don’t attempt to challenge the data. In th1 1900’s when this theory was first developed was a time when mass media was fairly recent. The government had only just discovered the power of advertising to pass on a message and influence people.
The model suggests information from a text transmits into the consciousness of a audience. It suggests we are manipulated by the text and our way of thinking and ways may change to suit that hypothesis. This theory is still used relatively recently by parents, politicians and educators to explain why some people shouldn’t be exposed to certain types of information. For example a young child watching violent films may be prone to copy their behaviour, therefore acting upon the media text.
Two-Step Flow
Media researchers attempted to find a more precise theory to explain the relationship between audience and media text. As media is such an influential part of society it needs to influence people way of thinking.
Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet attempted to evaluate Voters desicsions in the 1940 election and processed the results in the people’s choice. They proposed information doesn’t flow strait from the text to the audience mind but is clarified through opinion leaders to communicate and have an influence. The audience will then make a decision based from the direct media but also the opinions, A two-step follow. Social factors are also to the way audience’s interpreted text.
