Hypodermic needle that was identified in the 1940s and 1950s.

1. The hypodermic Theory
Aslihan Sahin
VS
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2. The hypodermic needle
The hypodermic needle theory implies the fact that
media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on
its audiences. The mass media in the 1940s and 1950s
were apparent as a powerful influence on behaviour
change.
Several factors contributed to this theory of media
having ‘strong effects’ of communication, which
includes:
O The fast rise and popularisation of radio and
television
O The emerge of the persuasion industries, such as
advertising.

3. Continued
This theory suggests that the mass media could influence a very large group of
people directly and uniformly by ‘shooting’ or ‘injecting’ them with
appropriate messages designed to trigger a desired response.
It suggests a powerful and direct flow of information from the sender to the
receiver.
The hypodermic needle model suggests that media messages are injected
straight into a passive audience which is immediately influenced by the
message.
It expresses the view that the media is a dangerous means of communicating
an idea because the receiver or audience is powerless to resist the impact of
the message.
People are seen as a passive and are seen as having a lot material “shot” at
them. People end up thinking what they are told because there is no other
source of information.
The theory assumes what we see or hear we believe and consume. The theory
assumes we are brainwashed in to believing the media messages.

4. A famous case
In the 1930s a radio broadcast of ‘War of the
worlds’ was performed like a real news
broadcast to heighten the effect of the story,
people listening thought is was real and assumed
mars had come to invade the world.
As a result this demonstrates a passive audience
to show how an audience believes what they
hear in the news and how this can quickly lead to
misinterpretation.

5. Cons of the theory
O The theory is very out of date and invalid.
O Not everyone watches the news/ consumes media in the
same way.
O Audiences are not simply passive more up to date
theories have proved this.
O Technology has changed how we consume media and
the sources where it originates from.
O We are more aware of society and how institutions
operate.
O We are now so used to consuming media texts that we
understand conventions and know when to rejects
messages if we deem them insignificant.