Mass Communication Theories
© Brian Brown, 1998-1999. All rights reserved.
Last Modified: January 28, 2000.
Intrapersonal | Interpersonal | Group | Organization | Mass/Cultural
MAGIC BULLET THEORY
- Magic bullet, hypodermic needle, can deliberately alter
or control peoples behaviour
- Outcome of World War I propaganda efforts
- War of the worlds
USES AND GRATIFICATION THEORY
Concerned with how people use media to satisfy their needs (an
outcome of Abraham Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs)
CRITICAL THEORY
- Concerned with distribution of power in society and the
way in which certain elements are dominated by others
- Media can create symbols and images that dominate or
opress certain groups
- Frankfort School (Adorno), Entertainment industry
manufactures demand, places emphasis on material goods
and consumption for the benefit of the few rich magnates
SPIRAL OF SILENCE THEORY
Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann
- The media publicises opinion that is mainstream or fringe
- Individuals who perceive their own opinion is accepted
will express it, whilst those that don't supress their
views
- People adjust their opinions according to their
perceptions to avoid being isolated
- Innovators, change agents and the avant-garde don't mind
being isolated so are unafraid to voice differring
opinions
CULTURAL IMPERIALISM
CULTIVATION THEORY
George Gerbner. Tries to determine if watching television
influences viewers ideas of what their world is like.
- TV creates a shared view of the world (because of its
dominance)
- TV homogenises different cultures
- TV portrays the world/society as a bad place in which to
live (if it bleeds it leads)
- Effects are small, gradual, indirect but accumulate over
a long time
- People become distrustful of the world/society
http://www.aber.ac.uk/~dgc/cultiv.html