Marshall McLuhan helped to popularize interpretive or alternative paradigms during the early 1960s. One of his most famous quotes from him is, “the medium is the message”. One strong point of McLuhan is that “what really matters is not whether or how people are changed by the content of the messages they receive (as in the effects paradigm), but rather how society is changed by the dominant way in which messages are communicated” (Rosenberry & Vicker, 2017, p. 136). I agree that technology changes society and how we view the world around us. However, I do think that the message’s content is also important. I think this theory may oversimplify the importance of the message and how the content also affects society.

Another strong McLuhan point is the idea that the electronic media can create a “global village.” A global village describes the way that the media has caused the world to become more interconnected. I also agree with this. In today’s world, smartphones, television, and social media, people can connect together in real-time to discuss many different topics. McLuhan came up with the idea of the global village before the Internet was created, however; the concept applies to the Internet almost eerily. I think this concept is one of his strongest ideas. One limitation of McLuhan’s point is that it does not fully encompass the media’s effects on just how interconnected society is. Electronic media has developed so much more since McLuhan’s global village theory, and a more complex term/theory is now needed to examine the interconnectedness of society. The theory should also address deeper the ways that misinformation has and continues to affect society. 

McLuhan’s central idea is that, “a society dominated by electronic media will differ from a print-dominated one because people relate to the world around them according to which senses they use to learn about it,” (Rosenberry & Vicker, 2017, p. 135). Electronic media differs from print media mainly because of its ability to allow society to connect instantaneously and content is able to be accessed at any time. This type of connection has effected society because it also has allowed more people and media platforms to disseminate messages. One limitation of McLuhan’s ideas is the way that he describes media. Many critics have discussed this point. When he referenced media, it is a general sense which fails to provide a detailed analysis of some of the key ways that different mass media avenues effect society.

The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) is a theory of persuasion that suggests that “there are two different ways people can be persuaded of something, depending on how invested they are in a topic,” (ThoughtCo.).

There are two routes through which information is processed that can lead to attitudes being changed:

1. “The central route – the information is actively processed, and the individual evaluates it in a rational manner; and
2. The peripheral route, where the receiver does not actively process the information in a cognitive sense but instead relies on peripheral cues, such as the style of the message, the credibility of the source, her own mood, etc.” (Rosenberg & Victor, 2017).

1^st source

When we process information via the central route, we are making more logical and informed decisions. The peripheral route often leads us to make less informed and logical decisions, because we are focused on outside factors instead of the message itself.

As a future media practitioner, I will need to create messages that persuade my audience to complete a certain action. In order to do this successfully, I will have to consider both the central and peripheral route. These messages could be broadcasted via speeches, commercials ads, television, or social media.

One way to consider the central route when crafting messaging is to make sure my argument is logical. I also need to make sure that my message is succinct, easy to understand, and flows well. If I am writing copy for an ad, I will consider the central route by creating copy that has a call-to-action and is easy to read.  I will consider the peripheral route by creating a pretty background for the ad or using bolded lettering to draw attention to the content.

If I need to pitch a social media campaign to team members, I will consider the central route by making sure that my presentation’s message is clear, well-researched, and flows well. I will consider the peripheral route by creating an aesthetically pleasing background, big font, and speaking enthusiastically while pitching.

Understanding the elaboration likelihood model will help me find the right balance between creating strong and logical arguments and relying on other secondary factors like photography quality or celebrity endorsements to draw the audience in.

The two-step flow of information was originally used in 1940 to discuss a voting study called The People’s Choice (Rosenberry & Victor, 2022). It essentially states that “the mass media is not the only one disseminating information to the mass media,” (Sinn, 2020).

These days, people are relying more on who they consider to be thought leaders or trustworthy individuals to receive news. Some of these individuals are well-versed in current events, while others are not well-informed at all. This can be quite dangerous because there are many prominent figures who have gained big platforms that spew harmful and untrue rhetoric across their platforms.

I apply the two-step flow theory in many ways. When I share news, I try to make sure that I share from sources who I deem trustworthy and secondarily, whose ideals match mine. I don’t think that it is always necessary to share news from outlets that match your political and lifestyle views; however, I am definitely biased about which news outlets I choose to read and share articles with. For example, I like sharing news from Kamau Franklin. He is a lawyer and activist, and when he shares news, I can always trace it back to reputable sources. His views also align with many of my views, which makes me more apt to share his articles with my family and friends.

There are some news outlets that also share reputable information, but based on some of their employees’ views and the content shared, I make a conscious effort not to visit or share their articles with my friends and family. This is definitely an example of some of the way my biases play a role in my consumption of mass media platforms.

There are also some news outlets that do a terrible job at verifying sources and sharing factual information to their subscribers/readers. When I gather news, I usually gather it from some of the more mainstream sources that are known to provide verifiable information.I believe that it is important that everyone shares real news to limit the amount of fake news that gets shared. It’s pretty easy to trick people online, so I try to make sure that I consume and share real news.

According to the Pew Research Center, “A majority of political tweets from U.S. adults are retweets.” Many people are sharing second-hand information on social media, and we should all be more diligent about making sure we are sharing factual information.

Thank you for visiting my website.