Function of Mass Media

• Function of mass media

- In the early 20th century, the One-Step-Flow Theory (also known as Magic Bullet Theory or Hypodermic Needle Theory) was topical. This theory describes that powerful mass media ‘injects’ or ‘shoots’ information at a passive, powerless audience. This audience believes all information given by mass media and reacts on them immediately without a doubt.

- From 1940 onwards, the Two-Step-Flow Theory was common. This theory describes that information given by mass media is perceived first by ‘opinion leaders’ who pay close attention to media. These people add their own views and attitudes to the media content and pass this reformed information on to people in their environment.

- The next theory which developed was the Uses and Gratifications Theory. The audience was no longer assumed to play a passive role but to be able to choose between various possibilities to reach gratification of its needs. Moreover, the consume of media was now assumed to be more goal orientated.

- From 1960 onwards, the Agenda-Setting Theory was topical. This theory implies that the mass media do not influence the consumer directly but indirectly (‘They are not telling him what he has to think, they are telling him what he has to think about.’).

Moreover, there seems to be a kind of ‘gatekeeping’: journalists decide which topics have to be presented in the media and therefore are worth talking about and gaining public interest.

• Pluralism: means having available a broad scale of products in every media sector; literally: “In many forms”.

• Circulation: indicates the number of printed copies of a magazine per issue; the figure is always an absolute one.

• AIR: The “Average Issue Readership” shows how many people are confronted with an average issue. This number