Evolution of Mass Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evolution of Mass Communication - Essay ExampleThere had been past references to the power of mass media to influence its audience in a large measure, but it was in the 1920s and 1930s, through the growing influence of radio and newspapers, that theories were formulated. One of the earliest theories on mass media is called Magic Bullet. This thought is anchored on the early thinking that messages were like magic bullets that struck the audience evenly, creating uniform effects in terms of perception. It is postulated on the belief that everyone is passive and equally susceptible to media messages.A classic application of the Magic Bullet Theory happened on October 30, 1938, when on the eve of Halloween, regular radio program was interrupted for the premier time with a news bulletin that Martians had begun an invasion of Earth in Govers Mill, New Jersey. About 12 million people in the United States comprehend the broadcast, with at least one million actually believing that a serio us alien invasion was happening, creating a wave of hysteria that triggered traffic jams and occlude communication lines. The aftermath of the broadcast suggested that media could manipulate a passive and gullible public, leading media theorists to believe the power of mass media.Not everyone believed in