The Hypodermic Needle Theory originated in the 1920s and posits that media has the power to directly inject influential messages into passive audiences, similar to how a hypodermic needle injects a substance. It assumes media can strongly impact public opinion and behavior in a uniform way. While influential early on, it is now seen as too simplistic given that audiences can reject messages and media effects vary between individuals and are influenced by other factors.

1. Media Theories

2. Hypodermic Needle Theory: Intro
• It was promulgated by Harold Lasswell in 1920s.
It was written in the book "Propaganda
Technique" in the World War.
• Developed after researchers observed the effect
of propaganda during World war I&II and events
like Orson Welles ‘war of the World broadcast
• The theory is known by other names as well:
Magic Bullet Theory, Transmission-Belt Model
and Hypodermic-Syringe Model.

3. History :
• The words bullet and needle are used to show
the powerlessness of the audience as media
impacts public opinion and behavior change.
The theory was also influenced by media
behaviorism of 1930s.
• During second world wars media plays a vital
role in both United States and Germany to
made influence in the people’s mind.

4. History
• Nazi used film industry for Propaganda and they
produced lots of movies about their achievements
which made a great impact in Germans mind.
• Later the United States also used its own Hollywood
and produced films like “Its Happened one night”, “It’s
a wonderful life” and Mr. Smith goes to Washington” to
portrait Germany as Evil force which also made impact
in Americans Mind. Here media audience accepts the
messages directly without any rejection.

5. The Theory…
• It is a Linear communication Theory that suggests that media
messages are directly injected into the brains of
people/passive audience
• It implies that the media has the power to inject highly
influential messages directly into audiences. Since those
audiences have no other sources of information by which to
compare the media’s messages, they have no choice but to
act on those messages.
• It is a top down theory, concerned with “What the media do
to people”.
• It also suggests that we are all the same and we all respond to
media messages in the same way.

6. Theory….
• The theory is said to be based on assumptions
and not empirical findings. It is based on
supposition of human nature or biological nature.
• Audience cannot resist the received message
from media and it creates a uniform thinking
among people. A fixed mindset and perception is
created. Even a single piece of information can
cause many brain alterations and change
opinions subconsciously.

7. • Magic bullet theory model
• Source: Katz & Lazarsfeld (1955)

9. Features/Assumptions
• Humans are believed to act uniformly to their stimuli and
instincts.
• Media injects or inserts messages into the people’s brain as
propaganda and manipulation like that by a bullet or syringe.
• Messages have their own intention and are sent to get desired
outcomes.
• The effect of messages is supposed to be encompassing,
strong, immediate and dangerous.
• Messages are supposed to create public opinion and change
behavior of the audiences.
• Mass of people is made to think in a similar way by the media.
• The audience is always thought to be vulnerable and passive.

10. Factors contributed to this "strong
effects" theory of communication,
• The fast rise and popularization of radio and
television
• The emergence of the persuasion industries, such
as advertising and propaganda
• The Payne Fund studies of the 1930s, which
focused on the impact of motion pictures on
children
• Hitler's monopolization of the mass media during
WWII to unify the German public behind the Nazi
party

11. Example
• “Panic broadcast”- On an October 30th evening in 1938,
millions of people settled down to enjoy what had
recently become a great American pastime: listening to
the radio
• Newly formed mercury theater and Orson Welles join
together and broadcasted their radio edition of H.G.
Wells' "War of the Worlds.“
• On the eve of Halloween, radio programming was
interrupted with a "news bulletin" for the first time.
• What the audience heard was that Martians had begun
an invasion of Earth in a place called Grover's Mill, New
Jersey.

12. • A wave of mass hysteria disrupted households,
interrupted religious services, caused traffic jams and
clogged communication systems.
• People fled their city homes to seek shelter in
more rural areas, raided grocery stores and
began to ration food.
• Thousands of frantic phone calls poured in to
local police, firefighters and hospitals. The
nation was in a state of chaos

15. Criticisms of Hypodermic Needle
Theory
• The message flow is always from sender to receiver or top to
bottom.
• The audience is passive and susceptible and are easily influenced by
the message which might not be true every time. But the reactions
of people differ. Some people can be passive whereas some people
might not believe in media.
• The theory has been proved to fail by many studies like “The
People’s Choice” research for voting pattern and political behavior
during the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The study showed that the
pattern was affected by media in minimum amount but was more
affected by interpersonal communication. Studies show that media
has selective influence on mass.
• The theory is not taken as empirical (verifiable by observation or
experience rather than theory or pure logic).
• There are many media options with the growth of media outlets
today. The theory is not applicable in today’s world.

16. Hypodermic theory perspective
•Applicable possibility

17. • The Hypodermic Needle Theory is no longer accepted by
media theorists as a valid explanation of communication
and media influence. Indeed, some dispute whether early
media theorists gave the idea serious attention
• The hypodermic-needle model dominated until the 1940s.
• Although the Hypodermic Needle Theory has been
abandoned by most media theorists, it continues to
influence mainstream discourse about the influence of the
mass media. People believe that the mass media can have a
powerful effect on people and parents continue to worry
about the effect of television and violent video games.