MEDIA INFLUENCE: COMMUNICATION THEORIES

Hypodermic Needle Agenda Setting Reinforcement Theory Uses & Gratification Encoding/Decoding Theory Function Theory Theory YEAR 1920 - 1940 1972 1960 1974 1980 THEORIST Various Maxwell McCombs Joseph Klapper Jay Blumler Stuart Hall Donald Shaw Elihu Katz OVERVIEW A linear communication theory This theory suggests that the Klapper argued that the The Uses and Gratification Stuart Hall’s which suggests that the media media can’t tell you what to media has little power to Theory looks at how people Encoding/Decoding Theory has a direct and powerful think but it can tell you what influence people and it just use the media to gratify a suggests that audience influence on audiences, like being to think about. Through a reinforces our pre-existing range of needs – including derive their own meaning injected with a hypodermic process of selection, omission attitudes and beliefs, which the need for information, from media texts. These needle. and framing, the media have been developed by personal identity, meanings can be focuses public discussion on more powerful social integration, social dominant, negotiated or particular issues. institutions like families, interaction and oppositional. schools and religion entertainment. organisations. AUDIENCE Audiences are passive and Audiences are active but, Audiences are active and Audiences are active and Audiences are active in homogenous, this theory does not when it comes to making exist in a society where they can have power over the decoding media account for individual differences. important decisions like who are influenced by important media. If people don’t messages. They can to vote for, they draw on social institutions. This theory watch a television program, accept or reject parts of information that is particularly considers the total situation. it won’t rate and it will be the text based on their salient at the time. taken off the air. personal beliefs or attitudes. EVIDENCE This theory is often supported by Typically, evidence In ‘The Effects of Mass Uses and Gratification The idea of early moral panics, including the supporting this theory shows a Communication’, Klapper theorists examine what encoding/decoding is not Orson Welles War of the Worlds correlation cites hundreds of studies that people do with the media supported by evidence. It is broadcast in 1938. Presented in between the number of news support his theory, including a and maintain that the best a way of thinking about the the form of a news bulletin, this stories on an issue and how 1948 study which revealed way to find out is by asking communication process broadcast led some to believe important people think the that voters were predisposed audiences. A recent study which prioritises audience that the world was being invaded issue is. McCombs cites a to opinions and beliefs held of how young people use and culture. This theory by martians. The belief that the study that by their families, including social networking - ‘Hanging shifts our attention to the media has a direct and powerful revealed in the early 1980s one young man who said he out, messing around and reception of media texts effect on audiences was also there was a correlation was going to vote geeking out’ - took this and how meaning is supported by the Payne Fund between the rise in 'ailing Democratic because his approach, asking young created. studies. economy' headlines and grandfather would skin him if people how and why they poor consumer sentiment. he didn’t. use social networking sites. STRENGTHS Although many people still talk The way people receive The strength of this theory is Uses and Gratification is an Only three decoding about the media in this way, this media is changing, instead of that it moves the discussion approach to studying the positions. These three WEAKNESS theory is disregarded as an mainstream media like about media influence away media, rather than a theory categories are not outdated way of thinking about newspapers and television, from the assumption of influence. It has been supported by empirical media influence. Audiences are people now get information that the media has a direct criticised for its vague evidence. The theory does more active than this theory from the internet. Does this and powerful influence on definition of important consider the importance of suggests. affect the media’s ability to audiences, considering the concepts. culture in determining set agendas? total situation. dominant messages.