The two-step flow theory is The theoretical hypothesis proposed by American communication scholar Lazarsfeld in 1940 in The People’s Choice, which is part of the limited effects theory.
The hypothesis states that mass communication messages do not flow directly to the general audience, but rather follow a two-step flow model of “medium, opinion leader, audience”.
Opinion leaders, also known as opinion leaders, refer to a small number of intermediary role players who have some influence in the process of information transfer and interpersonal interaction.
Opinion leaders are so common that not all the information of the whole society reaches the general audience directly, but reaches some of them first, and then this group of people passes the information to the general audience around them. Of course, we cannot deny that there is a part of the message that is not delivered in this way. Although this part of the message is delivered directly to the general audience, most of the message does not play much of a role in this process. If the desired change in attitude and behaviour of these general audiences is desired, then it is still necessary for opinion leaders to explain and evaluate the message in detail, and subsequently orient and instruct the general audience.
In today’s society, it is never possible for a person to live a separate life in total isolation from the group, and everyone in society is in direct or indirect contact with people. The traditional process of mass communication is: communicator → media message → audience. However, after Lazarsfeld’s discovery of opinion leaders, the process of mass communication became communicator → gatekeeper → media message → opinion leader → audience.
Opinion leaders as a social phenomenon exist not only in Western societies, but also in different societies and in the communication process, but the shape of a certain existence may be somewhat different. For example, the news of President Kennedy’s assassination shook the United States, and about 50 per cent of the people learnt about it only by being told about it by others. The influence of opinion leaders cannot be underestimated.
My feeling after reading this blog of yours is that the Two-Step Process Theory proposed by Lazarsfeld challenged the traditional model of mass communication and emphasised the critical role of opinion leaders. Still relevant in today’s interconnected society, the theory highlights the subtle paths of information dissemination and the influence of interpersonal relationships in shaping attitudes and behaviours.