Can Anyone be an Opinion Leader?

In our ever-evolving media landscape and 24-hour news cycle, the news is everywhere. It’s on television, in newspapers, on the radio, on podcasts, on the internet, on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and even on notifications on your phone.

We are constantly surrounded by news. But have you ever stopped to think about where you typically get your news and who that news is coming from? Who. That’s the key word here. You can say you get most of your news on Facebook, but who is sharing that news? And do you ever do your own research into the factuality of that news?

The two-step flow theory of mass communication says that mass media messages first reach “opinion leaders” who then decide what information to pass along to less-active media users. Basically, all the news information that the average person gets has first gone through someone else, meaning the average person might not be getting all the details.

Image courtesy of Maris Laughton

Though there are criticisms that this theory is limited and doesn’t look at how information is further disseminated after it reaches the general audience, it does also imply that interpersonal interaction is much more influential in shaping public opinion than mass media outlets. And that I absolutely agree with.

I don’t know about you, but when I hear things from people I know and trust, I am likely to believe them without checking where they got the information from, especially when what they tell me reinforces an opinion or belief I already have. But it’s also possible that that person is choosing to tell me only part of the larger picture, like an opinion leader might do.

That being said, when it comes to my news-gathering routine, I typically seek out news on online publications like the New York Times or Washington Post. It’s impossible to avoid news on social media sites, so I end up reading news on Facebook too, and sometimes will share articles that I find particularly timely or interesting. And of course, I talk to people I know about current events, but usually double check what we talked about on a media outlet.

Image courtesy of Maris Laughton

The two-step flow theory applies when I talk to people about current events, read news that others have shared on social media or when I share news myself. I don’t share every news article I read on Facebook or talk about everything going on in the world with people I know. I choose what to talk about and what to share, like opinion leaders do.

The biggest take-away here is that anyone can act as an opinion leader and share the information they find most useful with their network or audience, but that doesn’t mean they are sharing the full story.

Image courtesy of Maris Laughton

Published by Maris Laughton

September 12, 2021