The hypodermic needle model is a model of communications. It is also referred to as the magic bullet. Essentially this model holds that an intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver.

The most famous example of what would be considered the result of the Magic Bullet or Hypodermic Needle Model was the 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds (radio) and the subsequent reaction of the mass American audience that was tuned in.

The phrasing Hypodermic needle is meant to give a mental image of a message s direct infusion into an individual. This view tends to ignore things like interpretation and for this fatal flaw it is clearly less than perfect.

A more modern version is the Two-step flow of communication theory.

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