Theories of communication

1. Authoritarian theory :There are restriction on mass communication process especially in form of insisting license obtained by rulers practice of censorship according to the wishes of rulers so that the reality withheld from the masses.

2. Libertarian theory: Function of the press is to inform, to sell, to entertain to uphold the truth and check the government.

3. Social responsibility theory:

• providing information for debate on public affairs,
• instructing and informing public to make capable of self-government,
• protecting the right of individual,
• maintain the economic equilibrium,
• providing entertainment,
• remaining interdependence on outside pressure

4. Hypodermic needle theory:

• The hypodermic needle model postulated that mass media had direct immediate and powerful effects on a mass audience.
• Developed in the 1920s and 1930s
• Linear communication theory
• Passive audience
• No individual differences
• also known as the “magic bullet” theory because media messages are magic bullets piercing the mind of the populace.
• also called the “direct effects model,” the “Hypodermic Needle Theory,” or the “Magic Bullet” theory or uniform influence theory.