The Two-Step Flow theory suggests that information from media does not directly influence audiences but instead flows through active "opinion leaders" who filter the media's messages and influence less active audiences. Opinion leaders form their own views of media texts and communicate them to passive audiences, resulting in a two-step process of influence rather than direct impact from the media.

1. The Two-Step Flow
This theory suggests that information from media texts does not flow
directly from the text into the minds of its audience unmediated but is
filtered through "opinion leaders" who then communicate and influence
their audiences which are less active.
Opinion leaders are people who have seen the media text and have
been able to make up their own mind about its qualities and
messages.
These opinion leaders are ACTIVE. However, except for deciding
which opinion leaders to believe, the rest of the audience are
PASSIVE.
The audience then mediate the information received from the media
with the ideas and thoughts expressed by the opinion leaders, being
influenced not by direct process, but by two-step flow.

2. PASSIVE
ACTIVE
INTERACTIVE
Audiences accept
media messages
Audiences are
involved in their
interpretations of
media texts
Audiences influence
media texts and
create their own
Audiences are
easily influenced
Audiences create
their own meanings
Audiences discuss
meanings with each
other
Audiences do not
make their own use
media texts or
interpret them in
their own way
Audiences question
and respond to
institutions
Audiences
challenge traditional
media institutions.