Name : Rameesha Rehman

Registration No. : 2193180

M-1

Q : Describe the theories of mass communication?

Ans : Mass Communication Theory :

Def : “ It is a setup statement that describes in the formal manner a set of relationships between
concepts, measureable by variables referring to characteristics of entities involved in mass
communication process (individuals, groups, institutions, unit of contents e.tc).”

Theories Of Mass Communication :

 Magic Bullets Theory :

Magic bullet is that media asset if very powerful and injects into
minds of the audience in such a way as a bullet acts rapidly on a body. The magic bullet theory
graphically assumes that the media’s message is a bullet fired from the media gun into the
viewer’s head.

 Cultivation’s Theory :

This theory says that media cultivates the minds of the people ;
this holds that through heavy exposures to television ; people begin to view the world similar to
the television world. Cultivation theory is the study that examines the long term effects of
television. It is proposed by professor George Gerbner and Larry Gross in 1970’s. For e.g : A
person who watches a lot of crime shows on television and eventually believe that there is a lot of
violent crime in the city he resides in.

 Limited Effect Theory :

This theory was proposed by Austrian American Socialogist Paul

Lazarsfeld. The theory states that even there is an effect created by the media on the toughts and
the opionions of individuals. This effect is minimal at best or limited.

 Agenda Setting Theory :

It is basically theory of strong media effects which says that

there are 3 related agendas as, media agenda, public agenda and policy agendas. This suggests
that with the passage of time media agenda becomes the public agenda and there are linked one
another. It was formally developed by Max Mccombs and Donald Shaw in a study on the 1968
American Presidential Elections.

 Framing Theory :
 Framing theory is closely interlinked the agenda setting concept.
Framing says that media focus attention on certain issues and then place them with the specific
field of meaning. Mass media creates pictures of the world in our minds ; framing is also termed
as second level agenda setting.

 Spiral Of Silence Theory :

This theory is based on the idea that dissidents to the

prevailing media created idea will not speak out against it if they perceive themselves to be in the
minority and thus avoid the risk of isolation and rejection. This leads others to keep silent since
they believe most people agree with majority. The spiral of silence is a political science and mass
communication theory proposed by the gentleman, political scientists Elisa Beth,
Noelleneumann.

 Authoritian Theory :

This theory says it is necessary to control the media to protect and

prevent the people from national threats through any form of communication. Information and
news the authorities have all rights to permit any media and control it by providing license to the
media and make certain censorship.

 Libertarian Theory :

This theory says people are more enough to find and judge good
ideas from bad. People are rational and their rational thoughts lead them to find out what are
good and bad. The press should not restrict anything even the negative content and give
knowledge and make better decision whilst worst situation. Libertarian theory is on of the non-
active theories of press. The theory which is originally came from libertarian thoughts from16th
Century in Europe.

 Social Responsibility Theory :

This theory allows free press without any censorship but

at the same time. The content of the press should be discussed in public panel and media should
assess any obligation from public interference or professional self regulations or donations or
both. The theory gives total media gives freedom in one hand but the external controls in the
other hand.

 Media Dependency Theory :

Systematic approach to the study of the effects of mass

media on audiences and social systems. The theory of media dependency states that for society in
states of crisis or in stability citizens are more reliant on mass media for information.