Reciprocal Effects: Toward a Theory of Mass Media Effects on Decision Makers

The article presents a framework for the analysis of reciprocal effects of mass media—in this case, their impact on subjects of media reports, especially on decision makers in areas of politics and business. It outlines a feedback model with three sets of variables referring to (1) media coverage and media as institutions, (2) awareness and processing of information, and (3) observable effects on subjects and others.The article presents several theories that explain effects on decision makers and illustrate the relevance of this approach with empirical data from a broad range of quantitative studies. In the final section, theoretical and methodological problems of such an approach are discussed.