The Two-Step Flow

This theory suggests that information from media texts does not flow directly from the text into the minds of its audience unmediated but is filtered through "opinion leaders" who then communicate and influence their audiences which are less active.

Opinion leaders are people who have seen the media text and have been able to make up their own mind about its qualities and messages.

These opinion leaders are ACTIVE. However, except for deciding which opinion leaders to believe, the rest of the audience are PASSIVE.

The audience then mediate the information received from the media with the ideas and thoughts expressed by the opinion leaders, being influenced not by direct process, but by two-step flow.

PASSIVE ACTIVE INTERACTIVE

Audiences accept media messages

Audiences are involved in their interpretations of media texts

Audiences influence media texts and create their own

Audiences are easily influenced

Audiences create their own meanings

Audiences discuss meanings with each other

Audiences do not make their own use media texts or interpret them in their own way

Audiences question and respond to institutions

Audiences challenge traditional media institutions.