Lecture 7 - Media influences and effects
Media effects and influences --> what media 'do' to people (emphasis on structure).
Theories about media influence have evolved from:
1. …those emphasising direct and immediate influence…
2. …to those suggesting little influence…
3. …and finally to those arguing for select influence and long-term consequences.
There is not one overlapping theory for media. Several factors are changing all the time --> need for
new theories all the time.
1. Different phases in the history of media effects research
Phase 1 - All-powerful media
In the 20th century were a lot of new media (radio etc.) and a lot of propaganda. People were
thinking about media, what do they do + concerns about propaganda.
In the 1930s media effects were very strong.
Hypodermic Needle Theory / Magic Bullet Theory: audience is seen as passive. When people were
exposed to certain messages, they would take over these ideas. Messages were inserted directly in
the bloodstream of people. Media effects understood as:
, A direct response to the stimulus
Very powerful
Uniform
Not valid, has never been valid.
Mass society theory: growing homogenization of the population and a decline in interpersonal and
group relations. Makes people more vulnerable to media influence. If people are less embedded in
specific communities, they are more vulnerable to be influenced by media.
Weakness: underestimates the agency of media users, to resist the power of media.
Phase 2: Theory of powerful media put to the test
Researchers started to measure. There were more tools now for researchers to measure the
assumptions. Turned out that the hypodermic needle theory was not valid.
They started to look at different variables --> age, where they grew up, etc.
In the earlier models media effects were seen as uniform, now distinctions were made.
Limited effects models:
Media's impact is weak and short-lived
Selective exposure (not everyone sees the message), selective understanding(people who
see the message will focus on what resonates with their already existing opinions and views),
and selective recall (when you ask people about what they saw later, they have already
forgotten many things)
A two-step flow of influence
Media effects and influences --> what media 'do' to people (emphasis on structure).
Theories about media influence have evolved from:
1. …those emphasising direct and immediate influence…
2. …to those suggesting little influence…
3. …and finally to those arguing for select influence and long-term consequences.
There is not one overlapping theory for media. Several factors are changing all the time --> need for
new theories all the time.
1. Different phases in the history of media effects research
Phase 1 - All-powerful media
In the 20th century were a lot of new media (radio etc.) and a lot of propaganda. People were
thinking about media, what do they do + concerns about propaganda.
In the 1930s media effects were very strong.
Hypodermic Needle Theory / Magic Bullet Theory: audience is seen as passive. When people were
exposed to certain messages, they would take over these ideas. Messages were inserted directly in
the bloodstream of people. Media effects understood as:
, A direct response to the stimulus
Very powerful
Uniform
Not valid, has never been valid.
Mass society theory: growing homogenization of the population and a decline in interpersonal and
group relations. Makes people more vulnerable to media influence. If people are less embedded in
specific communities, they are more vulnerable to be influenced by media.
Weakness: underestimates the agency of media users, to resist the power of media.
Phase 2: Theory of powerful media put to the test
Researchers started to measure. There were more tools now for researchers to measure the
assumptions. Turned out that the hypodermic needle theory was not valid.
They started to look at different variables --> age, where they grew up, etc.
In the earlier models media effects were seen as uniform, now distinctions were made.
Limited effects models:
Media's impact is weak and short-lived
Selective exposure (not everyone sees the message), selective understanding(people who
see the message will focus on what resonates with their already existing opinions and views),
and selective recall (when you ask people about what they saw later, they have already
forgotten many things)
A two-step flow of influence
