Influences of the Mass Media

Useful to both professional persuaders and students of media effects, this book presents theories and empirical research on methods of social influence, including advertising, agenda-setting, propaganda, public relations, and public communication campaigns. The reader first learns how source credibility affects persuasion and the theories that account for persuasion effects, followed by research on the third-person effect – the belief that others are affected by persuasion attempts, but not ourselves. A chapter on the effects of advertising follows, including effects on children, and research on subliminal messages. The third chapter presents theories and research on the notion of agenda-setting, and the finding that while the media may not be overly effective in persuasion, it is effective in getting the audience to believe issues covered by the media are the most important facing society. The final chapter covers the history of propaganda, the development of public relations, and the effectiveness of government campaigns, such as the Smokey the Bear campaign and various health campaigns.