Two-step flow of communication

Introduction 

Two-step flow model emphasizes on the social dimension of media. 

Two-step flow model of communication, theory of communication that proposes that interpersonal interaction has a far stronger effect on shaping public opinion than mass media outlets. The two-step flow model was formulated in 1948 by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet in the book The People’s Choice, after research into voters’ decision-making processes during the 1940 US Presidential elections.

Model of two-step flow of communication 

Influence of Opinion Leaders

The two-step flow of communication model says that most people form their opinions under the influence of opinion leaders, who in turn are influenced by the mass media. In contrast to the one-step flow of the hypodermic needle model or magic bullet theory, which holds that people are directly influenced by mass media, according to the two-step flow model, ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders, and from them to a wider population. Opinion leaders pass on their own interpretation of information in addition to the actual media content

Who are Opinion leaders? 

Opinion Leader is a leader for a certain group who gives details and information to lesser active persons in the group. In office, the managing director is an opinion leader and in public, a political leader is an opinion leader. In other words, opinion leaders are intermediaries able to filter, interpret, and explain media messages. And they pass on their own interpretation in addition to the actual media content. Rovere study, Elmira Study, Decatur Study tell us how opinion leaders influence their followers and who becomes the opinion leader and so on. These studies were extended from voting patterns to fashion trends, marketing trends, and other social behaviour. Rajeev masand and Roger Ebert are film critiques and are opinion leaders. 

This implies that most people receive information from opinion leaders through interpersonal communication rather than directly from mass media. Lazarsfeld, Berelson, and Gaudet discovered that most voters in the 1940 election got their information about the candidates from other people who read about the campaign in the newspapers, not directly from the media. Lazarsfeld, Berelson, and Gaudet concluded that word-of-mouth transmission of information plays an important role in the communication process and that mass media have only a limited influence on most individuals.

Three great personalities of Mass communication. 

The theory of the two-step flow of mass communication was further developed by Lazarsfeld together with Elihu Katz in the book Personal Influence (1955). The book explains that people’s reactions to media messages are mediated by interpersonal communication with members of their social environment.

Criticism of the theory 

However, the theory came under some criticism in the 1970s and the 1980s. Some researchers argued that the process of a two-step flow is an oversimplification and that the actual flow of information from mass media to media consumers has more than two steps. For instance, additional research revealed that conversations based on media content are more frequent among opinion leaders themselves rather than among opinion leaders and less-informed individuals. This creates the extra step of opinion sharing among equally informed individuals, compared with only a vertical flow of information from opinion leaders to followers.

Another criticism is the fact that the two-step flow model was formulated during a time when television and the Internet did not exist. Both original studies relied on people’s responses to newspapers and radio broadcasts and concluded that interpersonal communication is more frequent than media consumption during an average day. Later studies of everyday behaviour in the era of television dominance seem to indicate the opposite.

National surveys regarding people’s main sources of information also indicate that people rely much more on mass media than on personal communication.

Everette Rogers “Diffusion of innovations theory” cited a study in which two thirds of respondents accredited their awareness to the mass media rather than face-to-face communication.

Multi-step flow communication: (see diagram on net) 

It was observed that influence can be multi directional and it is not necessarily be downwards, influence can be upwards or even backwards towards media as well. The feedback process in which the audience (reader, viewers, listner etc) could write to the media suggesting, requesting, appreciating or criticising things or events. Multiple step theory is a theory that indicates that information, usually comes from media outlets, moves in multiple direction. It is more like a network thing. When it is moving in multiple direction, it is quite possible that there are two opinion leader giving exactly opposite opinions on same topic. Ultimately, the follower will be influenced by both and uses his own common sense to reach to a conclusion. It means follower is not passive, unlike magic bullet theory.

Example of Multi-step communication:

Former vice-president Al Gore also utilized the this theory to gain support for his non-profit, 'the climate project'. Gore recruited individuals who were educated in environmental issues and had the ability to be influential in their community and amongst their friends and family. He then trained his opinion leaders on the information he wanted to disseminate and sent them to schools and communities in America to influence people. This ultimately enabled them to educate many Americans about the climate project and Gore's overall idea about climate change.

But nowadays in the age of social media our reliance on opinion leaders is not that much, but it does not mean that the concept of opinion leaders is redundant. But there are many people with huge followers. And they can be called as a opinion leaders. In a paper presented at the 20th Annual World wide web conference in 2011, researchers looking at the flow of information on social networking site twitter revealed that they found significant evidence to support the two-step and multiple-flow theory. Because opinion leaders not only make the opinion of people. But they get feedback in the form of comments to change their opinion as well. So it can be said that both theories are still relevant although they have gone through some modifications because of the presence of social media and Internet. 

In short, people live in a circle of influence which shape and reshape their opinions. Circle of influence may be internet, tv, radio, teacher, family, friends and so forth.