MassCom Digest: Notes, Theories & Media Trends

 Effects theories continued (Bullet theory, Cultivation theory, Spiral of Silence, Media Hegemony) Introduction In continuation of the Effects theories from the previous week, this chapter takes a look at four more theories that have been applied in the explanation of the general effects of mass communication on the audience. The theories under discussion here are: The Bullet theory, Cultivation theory, Spiral of silence and Media hegemony. The Bullet theory This is one of the earliest theories that were used in explaining the effects of mass communication. Based on the general state of fear, alarm and uncertainties during the World Wars, people tended to respond en mass to the propaganda that was being used as part of the warfare. Some media observers and communication analysts rushed to what has been often criticized as a 'simplistic conclusion' that communication messages produced strong and more or less universal effects on all audience members who happen to be exposed...

FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION History and Orientation Neumann (1974) introduced the “spiral of silence” as an attempt to explain in part how public opinion is formed. She wondered why the Germans supported wrong political positions that led to national defeat, humiliation and ruin in the 1930s-1940s. In an 1974 research article, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann presented a groundbreaking political science and mass communication theory called ‘Spiral of Silence’ (SoS). SoS is a process when an individual finds his views less popular, in contradiction with the majority, and may lead to ‘isolation’, then (consequently) s/he chooses not to express his/her views. Neumann defines ‘the tendency of the one to speak up and the other to be silent starts off a spiralling process which increasingly establishes one’s opinion as the prevailing one.’ As a result, minority opinion may lead to ‘fear of isolation’, which (may) eventually result into self-censorship for detailed version visit the followi...