Media Effects

Scholars have long studied the impact mass communications have on individuals and society. Results of these studies tend to indicate both that Western societies have a dependency on mass media and that this dependency is not so complete as to make viewers and listeners thoughtlessly accept whatever messages they receive. To explain media effects, rejected models of media effects will be explained and current models of media dependency will be analyzed.

One early model of media effects was known as the “hypodermic” model. Much as a doctor's needle injects a patient with some drug, this theory held that audiences passively view whatever content major media outlets make available to them. Theoretically, having viewed set content would lead an audience member to behave in a predictable manner. However, several problems are associated with this theory. First, the proliferation of media outlets and the option of turning the television off make focusing audience attention on a single message exceedingly difficult. Second, this theory does not account for the tendency of audience members to respond to messages based on their own beliefs and values rather than on what they see on television.

A similar theory is known as the “magic bullet” theory. This argues that a media message will directly impact an audience. In other words, if an individual sees an advertisement for soft drink X, he or she will necessarily respond favorably to that soft drink and will likely buy it. Researchers have generally been unable to support such a conclusion. Although explanations vary, it is likely that this effect fails for similar reasons as the failure of the hypodermic effect. People have experiences other than what they see on television, and advertisements do not automatically overcome these experiences. Although a magic bullet can be properly aimed to hit its target, a direct effect from the simple presence of an ad is unlikely.

Although the hypodermic and magic bullet models of media effects have been widely rejected, media dependency theory offers some explanation of the ways in which media impact society. Developed by Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur, media dependency theory explains the growth of the media as well as the increased reliance many individuals have on various mass media forms. This theory holds that reliance on media is linked to the three factors of media, audience, and society. In this case, media refers to the number and type of information outlets that are available. In contemporary society, radio, television, print news sources, and the Internet are all viable ways in which people can receive information. This makes the task of selecting a medium more difficult, because audience members have many alternatives to which they might turn. At the same time, the sheer number of media options makes it more likely that there is some media option that will appeal to an individual audience member.

Audience refers to the degree to which a person or group of people depend on various media forms for information. Some audiences have a greater need or perceived need for information, and each audience will have different preferences about the precise forum from which they prefer to receive information.

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