Roland Barthes - Hypodermic Needle Theory

The hypodermic needle theory suggests that many mass media, such as radio, television or popular newspapers can influence a huge amount of people by supposedly "shooting" them with messages to get their desired response from their target market. The image suggested by a hypodermic needle signifies that mass media institutions direct their messages powerfully and direct flow of information from them to their viewers. This is to try and get a reaction from their viewers as it is "injected" to them as a passive audience. This theory shows how powerful mass media can be and how dangerous it can be. Important events in history have been related back to this theory, for example the fast popular rise of television and radio and how Hitler dominated the mass media during WWII to unify the German public behind the Nazi party. It is often seen as there is no escape from the effect of these messages and that the audience is seen as passive and are having the media information shot at them. People end up believing and following what the mass media are telling them because there is no other source of information.