Opinion leaders are individuals who are especially educated on a certain issue and actively interpret media messages for less informed individuals. They are important to target due to their influence over lower-end media users through the two step flow theory, where opinion leaders gather information from media and pass it on to others with their own interpretation. For an issue like cyberbullying targeting teenagers, opinion leaders who are intelligent and influential will be key to reaching this audience as teenagers may not fully understand the topic on their own.

1. Opinion Leaders:
TWO STEP FLOW THEORY
Lilly & Tom

2. What are opinion leaders?
• Opinion leadership is leadership by an active media user and who interprets the
meaning of media messages or content for lower-end media users.
• They are individuals who obtain more media coverage than others and are
especially educated on a certain issue. They seek the acceptance of others and are
especially motivated to enhance their social status.
Why are they important to us?
Our secondary audience is opinion leaders due to their intelligence and influential
impact on lower-end less educated media users. As we are targeting teenagers, it is
likely they will not be fully aware or educated enough to completely understand
the seriousness of the topic of CYBERBULLYING. Therefore targeting opinion
leaders increases the chance the message will reach the audience as opinion
leaders can voice the topic onto teenagers as the two step flow theory suggests
lower-end media users accept opinion leaders opinions.

3. What is the two step flow of
communication theory?
Two steps:
1. FIRST – Opinion leaders gather information
from a media source.
2. SECOND – Opinion leaders then pass the
information on, along with their own
interpretation and general knowledge down
to lower-end media users.

4. Characteristics
of opinion
leaders:
• Intelligent
• Informative
• Influential
• Hardworking
• Pay close attention to
mass media and their
messages
• Good work ethic
• Thirst for knowledge
• Aware
The ‘Influentials’
• Want to be informed
• Look up to opinion
leaders
• Not really informed by
the media