Two-Stepping With My News Habits

The Two-Step Flow Theory

Do you get all of your information directly from the media? These days it’s doubtful. Mobile phones and social media mean we are exposed to more sources of information than ever. And when we get information through an opinion leader or trusted source rather than directly from the media, it is called the Two-Step Flow theory. Britannica.com defines opinion leaders as “people who are active media users and who collect, interpret, and diffuse the meaning of media messages to less active media consumers.” The Two-Step Flow theory has been around since 1948, but since media today is more than radio and print, we get exposed to more opinion leaders, trusted sources, and influencers than ever.

Source: communicationtheory.org

Where Does My News Come From?

An analysis of how I gather news reveals that a lot of the information I receive comes from opinion leaders. There are friends, family members, and people in my social circle I trust to provide accurate information. I may still do my own fact-checking on the news they share.

Source: newyorktimes.com

And then there are people on social media whose posts I enjoy reading. If I am honest with myself, sometimes I read the story, but often I only read the tweet or the headline. Who has time to read every interesting story that comes their way?

I do my best to follow a variety of sources who provide differing slants on the same information. I follow a wide variety of opinion leaders. Some are independent political journalists, some work for mainstream media, some post about sports teams I like, and some are comedians. Some are political comedians, such as Bill Maher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaJpYjO136o

Source: youtube.com

But I always keep in mind that many of these folks are in the business of monetizing themselves. There is a reason they share information, and it isn’t out of the kindness of their hearts.

Sharing is Caring

I don’t share much news that comes my way, especially news from opinion leaders or friends and family. I do not believe I have the level of understanding and nuance necessary to share the news consistently. If I do share news, it generally comes directly from the media. And I ensure that I have read the article or watched the video before hitting the send button. Misinformation and disinformation are everywhere you look nowadays, so I try not to be part of the problem.