Erin Kenna 1
MC 3018 Extra Credit
The Hypodermic Needle Theory, or the Magic Bullet Theory, was created in the
1930s, but did not gain popularity until the early ‘40s through the ‘50s. This theory
implied that mass media had an immediate, direct and powerful impact on its audiences.
There were several instances researchers and scientists chose to highlight that could
prove this theory was in fact true. The rising popularity of radio and television along with
the heightened consumerist attitudes of the quintessential American family were clearly
observed.
The theory suggests that a needle, or bullet, creates a direct relationship from
sender to receiver. Based on this theory, the mass media could easily influence its
audiences uniformly by “injecting” them with an appropriate message to initiate a desired
response. This theory is based almost solely upon the passivity of the audience in
question. This creates an image that the audience is powerless and unable to avoid the
message of the mass media—good or bad.
The Magic Bullet/Hypodermic Needle Theory was designed and implemented by
Lowery and De Fleur, but it came under scrutiny by Lazarsfeld and Katz during the
election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 based upon the indirect effect of political
propaganda and voter turnout. They found that opinion leadership was the most
influential way to disseminate information to the public. Lazarsfeld and Katz then created
the Two Step Flow Model of Communication which assumes that when opinion leaders
create buzz about a topic, people are more willing to believe and spread the word about
that topic.
Mass communicaiton research is affected by this theory and the models developed
from it on a daily basis. Researchers are constantly trying to find out why or why not
audience members were or were not receptive to a message. Mass communication
professionals are aware that the message they present has to be perceived a certain way.
In several cases, the message will not be received well, if at all, from person to person.
Clearly, this theory and its various models have been discredited throughout the course of
mass communication research. This is not the model we currently look to when
establishing goals for current and prospective customer bases.
Research is based on empirical data, and this theory was not at its conception.
Mass communication professionals are aware that the best way to ensure their message is
well received is through a series of experimentation alongside observations. Audience
members are now, I would argue, more keen in regards to media and how information is
disseminated. The average audience member chooses his/her media outlet based on
his/her ideals and convictions. Not all the information presented is accepted, however.
The idea of uniformity and direct reception of a particular message does not work for
everyone.
I believe that this theory will be studied in the future as a model that was
steadfastly believable for a short amount of time during the height of early consumerism
in America. It is the perfect example of how a population is not completely homogenized.
All audience members may not be satisfied with the information/message being
portrayed. Questions may be asked that are difficult to answer for mass communication
professionals. I believe that studying this theory is a viable learning lesson for anyone
interested in pursuing a profession in the field of mass communication—nothing comes
easily.