Mass media effects -- Lecture #9

Katz and Lazarsfeld's Two step flow

Background
  • 1942 - McFadden Pubs wants to upgrade audience to True Story wants female "opinion leaders"
  • 1944 - Laz had funds, needs help
  • Laz starts "Bureau of Applied Social Research" at Columbia University (NYC)
  • 1945 - C. Wright Mills hired, hung w/ critical folks, then fired
  • 1954 - Elihu Katz joined


    • Method
    "Snowball" sampling

  • - 100 in Decatur, IL
  • interview: people were asked "Who do you talk to?"


    • Predictors of opinion leadership
    Marketing

  • no age effect
  • horizontal communication
  • "large family wives"
  • depends on gregariousness

    • Fashion
  • younger women,
  • small status effects
  • some gregariousness

    • Public affairs
  • small age effects
  • (high status) really: greg'ness

    • Movie selection
  • younger, gregariousness
  • but not status


    • Conclusions
    Two-step flow

  • Opinions flow from the media
  • to opinion leaders
  • and then to the general public
  • Again, no strong media effects

    • Unanswered questions
  • Is there an effect?
  • Are the general public influenced?
  • [before Rogers' study]
  • Is the message altered?

    • (is it the same message as in the media channels?)
    Later research:
  • Diffusion of innovations
  • Diffusion of news


    • Return to Mass Media effects syllabus

    On to lecture #10