Paul Lazarsfeld's Two-Step Flow Model Analysis

Two-step flow model is a model developed by Paul Lazarsfeld and his colleagues in the 1940s. This theory states that media influence, the information we receive from the mass media, often works in two stages. Firstly, media content like facts and views are picked up by opinion leaders in different groups. They can be friends, workmates, movie stars, politicians or anyone else who is considered influential and they usually have the respect of opinion followers due to their status in social class. Next, these leaders will discuss the media content with and influence their followers with the original content as well as their own interpretations of certain topics. To put it simple, the model is saying that ideas are disseminated from the mass media to opinion leaders, and then from them to a larger proportion of public. Movie recommendations from friends and product information from sport stars' endorsement …show more content…
It is the most famous syndicated chat show in America as it is estimated that about 50 million viewers watch her show every week. The show has 25 years of history. It airs in more than 150 countries and in 2013, it was ranked at the nineteenth on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time . The Oprah Winfrey Show consists of different segments such as “Oprah’s Book Club”, “Oprah’s Favorite Things”, “What's The Buzz”, “Fridays Live” and “No Phone Zone”. Oprah Winfrey, one of the most powerful women in the world, is the host and the opinion leader to influence audience who use the program not only for entertainment, but also for surveillance and interpretation, or who want to develop parasocial interaction with her. Through Oprah’s book recommendations, discussions about current events and tips for daily living, the viewers become opinion followers and receive second hand information from her. As a consequence, the show is employs the two-step flow