The 'Hypodermic Needle Effect' is the idea that the media, particularly mass media, have the ability to 'inject' a message into their audiences minds. For it to work it has to assume that the audience are passive receivers of the message and that they will accept and not challenge what they are told.
Two of the most famous examples of the Hypodermic Needle Effect are:
- The american release of War of the Worlds.
- The Sun's political campaign to ensure the Conservatives won the vote.
When 'War of the Worlds' was first released in America it was broadcast by radio. The way it was portrayed caused a country wide panic with people believing that Martians really were coming to earth. Although unintentional this is an example of how powerful the media can be. What started as an innocent broadcast ended in mass confusion because people believed what they heard on the radio.
The Sun's campaign is a more serious example. The campaign stemmed from Rupert Murdoch's hate of the printing unions after they refused to print the main headline and image on a report the Sun did on Arthur Scargill hours before it was to be printed. Instead the Sun was forced to print and apologetic message explaining why there was no cover story for this issue.
Rupert Murdoch was tired of the printing unions being able to tell him what he could and couldn't print so in the run up to the 1992 election, when everyone expected the Labour party to beat the Conservatives, the Sun launched a campaign backing the Conservatives because they intended to crush the unions. The Sun engineered their articles to appeal to a demographic who would back them in their efforts and after the Conservatives won the election they published an article headlined 'It was The Sun Wot Won It.'
The Sun believed that they had won the election for the Conservatives because of the campaign they had been running and it is likely that this is true. This is why it is a good example of the hypodermic needle effect. The Sun had been constantly backing Conservative initiatives and so people began to think of the Conservatives as the best party meaning they voted for them on election day.
It is in situations like the Sun's Conservative campaign, where one person has the power to decide the next prime minister, that make you think about how much power some people have over the rest of the country.
In one of the Spider Man films the line 'With great power comes great responsibility' was said. In our media lesson we discussed the people in Britain that have power and responsibility.
People with power and responsibility:
As the creator of a new music magazine I will have a responsibility to report truthfully to my readers, issues with in my chosen genre but I will have the power to influence their favourite artists with in that genre. Whilst producing my magazine it will be my duty to not abuse this power and responsibility to ensure that my readers are kept happy.
Uses and Gratifications Theory
The uses and gratifications theory is the opposite of the Hypodermic Needle Effect. It works on the idea that people are active receivers of the message; they will use what they see to gratify certain needs.
e.g. the need for:
The Sun believed that they had won the election for the Conservatives because of the campaign they had been running and it is likely that this is true. This is why it is a good example of the hypodermic needle effect. The Sun had been constantly backing Conservative initiatives and so people began to think of the Conservatives as the best party meaning they voted for them on election day.
It is in situations like the Sun's Conservative campaign, where one person has the power to decide the next prime minister, that make you think about how much power some people have over the rest of the country.
In one of the Spider Man films the line 'With great power comes great responsibility' was said. In our media lesson we discussed the people in Britain that have power and responsibility.
People with power and responsibility:
- The Queen - The Royal family
- The Prime Minister - the government
- Mayors
- Local Councils
- The Authorities - Police, Doctors, Surgeons etc.
- Teachers
- Media - BBC, ITV etc. Newspapers, Music industry etc.
As the creator of a new music magazine I will have a responsibility to report truthfully to my readers, issues with in my chosen genre but I will have the power to influence their favourite artists with in that genre. Whilst producing my magazine it will be my duty to not abuse this power and responsibility to ensure that my readers are kept happy.
Uses and Gratifications Theory
The uses and gratifications theory is the opposite of the Hypodermic Needle Effect. It works on the idea that people are active receivers of the message; they will use what they see to gratify certain needs.
e.g. the need for:
- diversion
- information
- advice etc.
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