1. MEDIA THEORIES

3. HYPODERMIC OR BULLET THEORY
Mozilla Firefox.lnk

4. HYPODERMIC OR BULLET THEORY
Conclusions of the Hypodermic or bullet theory –
Messages were thought to be magic bullets that were shot directly into the
receiver.
Receivers were passive and defenseless and took whatever is shot at them.
Media has a direct , Immediate and powerful effect on those who pay attention to
their content.
Media reaches every eye and ear in the same way and brought about same
changes of thought and behavior in the entire audience.
People receive information directly from the mass media and not through an
intermediary
The reaction is individual and not based on how other people might influence
them.
Critics view that magic bullet theory is not applicable in real life b’coz of no simple ,
direct influences that cause individuals thought and action .T he influence of media
on individuals depend on many factors ,including individual psychological differences
,membership in social categories and patterns of social relationship that serve as
alternative channels of communication . All of these shape and limit a person’s
exposure to media and how he or she will eventually interpret media content.

5. I D
N I
D F
I F
V E
I R
D E
U N
A C
L E
THEORY

6. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE THEORY
The theory proposes –
Each of us has unique qualities that result in our
reacting differently to different messages
The reaction to media content differs according to
motivation of audience members , their position to
accept or reject a given message, intelligence, beliefs,
opinions,values,needs,moods,prejudices,perceptibility
etc.
The audiences are very selective about what they
read , listen and see and behave differently to
different messages

7. 1.Selective Exposure –People tend
to expose themselves to various
messages or stimuli that are in
accordance with their opinion and
interest and avoid communication
which is in dissonance to their
beliefs.
2.Selective Perception –The y will
read or hear a message which is in
accordance to their existing
attitudes.
3.Selective Retention –The
audience will tend to remember
things which are in accordance to
their existing beliefs

8. PERSONAL INFLUENCE
THEORY
Outcome of Presidential
election of 1940
Surveys conducted by
Lazaefeld,Berelson and Gaudel
in 1948 helped reveal that
decisions to a great extent
were found to be modified by
interpersonal communication
and personal influences to a
great extent.
Researchers identified
certain people to have a great
influence over others -Opinion
leaders

9. The opinion leaders are
found to be people who
are well aquainted to
media themselves and are
found to be well influenced
by the media.
The opinion leaders tend
to pass down this influence
to other people through
face to face
communication thereby
generating either a –
1.Two step flow of
communication
2.Multi step flow of
communication

10. CULTIVATION THEORY
Theorist –George Gerbner
Year -1967
It is based on the assumption that mass media
have subtle effects on audiences who
unknowingly absorbs the dominant symbols
,images and messages of media . He calls it
“Cultivation of dominant Image pattern”
According to this theory ,a long persistent
exposure to TV is capable of cultivating common
beliefs about the world
Gerbner and his colleagues are of the view
that the messages of television do not portray
reality in society , but repeated exposure to
such distortions leads to the development of
particular beliefs about the world ,and these
beliefs get reinforced once they are developed.

11. Gerbner and his associates concluded
that
1.Media has a powerful impact on the
society
2.Media act as moulders of the society
3.Concentrates on long term effects of
exposure rather than short term impacts.
4.Two major outcomes –
a. Mainstreaming(social and cultural
differences tend to diminish)
b. Resonance (Respondents real life
situations and experiences are congruent
with those of television)
5.Cultivation appears to depend on
motivation for viewing.
6.Cultivation appears to be enhanced
when the viewer perceives the content of
the entertainment shows to be realistic.

12. EFFECTS
1.TV portrays the world /society as a bad place in
which to live
2.Effects are small , gradual ,indirect but
accumulate over a long time
3.People become distrustful of the
world/society(Mean World Syndrome)
STRENGTHS
Combines macro and micro level theories
Provides detailed explanation of television’s
unique role
Redefines effect as more than observable
behavioral change
Provides basis for social change
Prototype for further research.
WEAKNESS
The methodology is troubling
Assumes homogeneity of TV content
Focuses on heavy users.

13. USES AND GRATIFICATION THEORY
Objective –To study what people do
with media rather than what media
do with people.
The major assumptions of the theory
are as follows –
1.Audiences are active.
2.And willingly expose themselves to
media
3.The most potent of mass media
content cannot influence themselves
who has no use for it in the
environment in which he lives.
4.The uses of mass media are
dependent on perception,selectivity
and previously held values ,beliefs
and intrests of the people.

14. USES AND GRATIFICATION THEORY
What is gratification?
Gratification refers to rewards and
satisfaction experienced by
audiences after the use of media.
Motivations behind media use and
habit
The several gratifications for media
use are as follows –
1.Cognition –obtaining information.

15. USES AND GRATIFICATION THEORY
2.Diversion –
a.Stimulation or seeking releif from
boredom.
b.Relaxation or escape of pressure.
c.Emotional release of pent up
emotions and energy.
d.Reality exploration or advice.
3.Social Utility –
a.Strengthen our contacts with
family,friends and others in our
society.
Means to overcome loneliness.
4.Withdrawal –
a.Barrier between themselves and
other people.

16. AGENDA SETTING THEORY
The term was coined by Maxwell Mc.Combs and
Donald L.Shaw(1972)
It was done in context of election campaigns and
the party’s important issues
An agenda is a selection of items arranged to give
some items more importance than others.
 Gate keeping results in a news agenda presented
by media to the public.
There are numerous factors which affect
gatekeeping : cultural, social, psychological,ethics
of individual journalism,policies of editors,or
publishers,a desire to get ahead,to protect one’s
job,or to avoid conflict in time and
space,dependence of handouts from government
or public relation offices as sources of news

17. AGENDA SETTING THEORY
The major conclusions for the agenda
setting theory –
•There is a progressive increase in the use
of mass communication
•The influence of the media’s agenda is
directly related to how much he or she is
exposed to mass communication.
•Those individuals most frequently
exposed to mass communication show
higher level of agreement between
personal agendas and mass
communication agendas.
•Agenda setting has an important
influence on our political process and
hence can immensely contribute to change
in society over a period of time.

18. MEDIA DEPENDENCY THEORY
Proposed by S.J.Ball Rokeach and Melvin De
Fluer
The theory assumes that in a modern mass
society the media can be considered as
information systems vitally involved in
maintainance ,change and conflict processes at
the social as well as the group and individual
levels of social action.
In such a society individuals come increasingly
to depend on mass media information for
knowledge of and orientation to what is
happening in their own society.
The theory proposes that fewer the sources
of information in the media world ,the more
likely the media will affect our minds and
thoughts , our attitudes and how we behave.

19. MEDIA DEPENDENCY THEORY
The influence will have increased potential
when there is a high degree of structural
instability in the society due to conflict and
change.
At critical decision making times such as
elections people have become increasingly
dependent on media ,especially TV for election
information and guidance
Greater uncertainty in society ,less clear are
people’s frame of reference ,consequently there is
greater audience dependence

20. CULTURAL IMPERIALISM THEORY
Cultural Imperialism theory states that Western
Nations dominate the media around the world
which in return has a powerful effect on Third
world cultures by imposing on them Western
views and therefore destroying their Native
Culture.
Cultural imperialism is the practice of
promoting ,distinguishing , separating and
artificially injecting the culture of one nation into
another.
Theorist –Herb Schiller
Year -1973
Globalization of media and the internet are
accelerating the process of cultural imperialism

21. CULTURAL IMPERIALISM THEORY
Western civilization produces the majority of media
(films , news etc ) because they have money to do so .
The rest of the world purchases those productions
b’coz it is easier for them to purchase rather than
produce own of their own.
Third world countries are watching media filled with
Western worlds’ way of living , believing and thinking.
The third world cultures then start doing the same
things , debasing and destroying the culture of the
Nation.
Cultural Imperialism communication refer to either
forced accumulation of a subject population, or to
the voluntarily embracing of a foreign culture by
individuals who do so of their own free will.

22. SPIRAL OF SILENCE THEORY

23. SPIRAL OF SILENCE THEORY
This concept has been proposed by Elizabeth
Noelle –Neumann
The theory concerns the interplay between 4
elements :mass communication,interpersonal
communication and social relations,the
individual expression of opinion and the
perception which individuals have of the
surrounding climate of opinion in their social
environment.
The theory derives from fundamental social
psychological thinking concerning the
dependence of personal opinion on what others
think
The main assumptions –
1.Society threatens deviant individuals with
isolation
2.Individuals experience fear of isolation
continuously

24. SPIRAL OF SILENCE THEORY
3.This fear of isolation causes individuals to try to
assess the climate of opinion at all times.
4.The results of this estimate affect the behavior in
public , especially the open expression or concealment
of opinions.
The theory proposes that in order to avoid isolation
on important public issues(like political party)many
people look to their environment for clues about
what the dominant opinion is and which views are
gaining strength or are in decline . If one believes
one’s own personal views are amongst those in
decline ,one is less inclined to express them openly.As
a result the views perceived to be dominant appear
to gain even more ground and alternatives decline
further in a spiraling fashion.

25. SPIRAL OF SILENCE THEORY