2. Hypodermic Needle Model
The theory implies that mass media has some type of powerful,
immediate and direct effect on their audiences. It is ‘injected’ into the
audience with messages made to create a response and as their views
change so does the audiences. The view is expressed as a dangerous
means of communicating ideas. This is because the audience or
receiver is powerless to resist the impact of the message, which then
carries on the idea that whatever is said, is followed. An example of this
in The Descent is when Holly breaks her leg, the viewers feel sickly over
it but then eventually become desensitized in which if it had occurred
in reality then people would carry on and become sensitized.
3. Two-Step Model
The two-step model is the influence of messages. It follows in two steps:
1 - Opinion Leaders get information from a media source
2- Opinion Leaders then pass on the information, along with interpretations
to others (family, friends, acquaintances).
The Opinion Leaders pay close attention to the mass media and messages while
they’re influential and similar to those they do influence as they can relate and
both want the same things. The followers or ‘Influentials’ look up to their Opinion
Leaders and don’t fully follow what the media says. Examples of the two-step
theory are like elections, advertising. Neil Marshall present the women in The
Descent as liars, really deceptive, jealous and scared and more. This is followed by a
lot of the mainstream audience because Neil Marshall is the director and has the
main overall power but at the same time the only people who are going to realise
this is the people who would analyse the film.
4. Uses and Gratifications Model
This is when the people in power express and create opinions that can
be based upon their own experiences, which may influence and alter
your own opinion on the film or subject and compare. An example is
that if a reviewer had an opinion on women’s representation
throughout The Descent and when comparing to women in reality
saying they are the same then you would object and make a complete
different statement saying how it creates stereotypes.
