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COMMUNICATION THEORIES

PRIYANKA JAIN

ASST PROF MCVP

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The Multi-Step Flow Theory

  • This theory was first introduced by sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld in 1944
  • Elaborated by Elihu Katz and Lazarsfeld in 1955

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About Multi-Step Flow Theory …

  • The multi-step flow theory assumes ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders before being disseminated to a wider population
  • This theory offers a larger range of interaction between opinion leaders , information sources and audiences than the two step model which argues that information flows from mass media directly to influencers who then directly share it with their audience

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Role in Media

This theory accounts more for the social nature of sharing information than the one- step or two-step flow theories.

The multi-step flow theory also states opinion leaders are affected more by

“elite media” than run- of- the- mill , mass media. This is evident by political

opinion leaders receiving their information from unconventional sources such as The Huffington post, instead of Fox News or MSNBC.

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Leaders Tend to Influence……….

Leaders tend to have the great effect on those they most similar to Based on personality, interests, demographics, or socio- economic factors. These leaders tend to influence others to change their attitudes and behaviors more quickly than conventional media because the audience is able to better identify or relate to an opinion leader than an article in a newspaper or a news program.

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The People’s Choice

This was confirmed in Lazarsfeld’s 1940 study, The people’s choice, where Lazarsfeld studied American’s opinions during presidential elections. He found that the mass media did not change people’s behavior much. However personal attempts did achieve behavioral change..

  • Lazarsfeld did work on another study with Katz published In 1955. This study,” The personal Influence,” proved that opinion leaders look to mass media in their general area of intrest, and then share them with their communities.

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Media Influence

  • This media influence theory shows that information dissemination is a social occurrence, which may explain why certain media campaigns do not alter audience’s attitudes
  • An important factor of the multi step flow theory is how the social influence is modified. Information is affected by the social norms of each new community group that it enters . It is also shaped by conflicting views surrounding it

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Criticisms

  • One criticism of the multi-step, as well as the two-step and one step models is that they assume traditional mass media is the only source of information when that isn’t always true.

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Quote

  • Quote by Paul Lazarsfeld
  • It is the tragic story of the cultural crusader in a mass society that he cannot win, but that we would be lost without him

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