Understanding Two-Step Flow theory.
Paul Lazarsfel’s (Vienna 1901) Two-Step Flow Theory is a key idea in communication and media studies that changed how we think about how media affects society. Lazarsfeld suggested a more elaborate and open model in which opinion leaders are essential in influencing public opinion.
UNDERSTANDING
What does the term ‘’Two-Step Flow theory’’ mean? FIrst thing to say is the media does not show us the original source, the ‘main group’ informsl or explains to us what is happening. Basically, the source or message comes to us but it does not come to us directly as audiences, instead, it comes to us through the second step in the middle, an opinion leader, influencer, celebrity or even a professor, someone that we trust.
What the two-step-theory believes is that the media is not the only one that is giving information to the masses. First of all you have the mass media and then we have opinion leaders, these are people in society that follow news or politics or what’s going on in the world very closely, then they decide what is important for them and they talk about it and they spread that information and people listen to them because they trust them, we’re sheeps.
Although this can be a problem because of the fake news and mistrust of the media. People are getting their news from people they trust and less people are trusting the media.
These opinion leaders have a lot of influence and this is how the flow of information works.
EXAMPLES
Let’s get into a couple of examples to better understand this theory. You might know opinion leaders like Donald Trump, he has a lot of power and followers and his opinion leader for a lot of individuals within the United States who believe he is telling the truth and the media has been lying about him. Moreover, President Trump used to post on Twitter information, news and his thoughts to influence people.
Also we have opinion leaders on social media, we call them influencers. For instance these people try a product first and then they give their opinion to us, so we get our ideas from those influencers. When we want to buy something new we like to see what other people think first and then we form our opinions based on that.
Opinion leaders take shape and form in all different sizes and it can be different for each individual because people develop trust with certain individuals based on their own experiences.
REFERENCE LIST
- Lazarsfeld, P., Berelson, B. and Gaudet, H. 1968. The People’S Choice: How the Voter Makes Up His Mind in a Presidential Campaign. New York Chichester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/laza93930
- Durham, M.G. and Kellner, D.M. (2009) Media and cultural studies: Keyworks. John Wiley & Sons.
- Scannell, P. (2007b) Media and Communication. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446211847.
