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Description: Argues that media may not tell us what to think, but they significantly influence what we think about by selecting issues they consider newsworthy. Impact: This theory has led to a greater understanding of media power in shaping public discourse and the prioritization of issues in society.

Description: The media focuses attention on certain events and then places them within a field of meaning. Impact: Framing theory highlights the media's role in shaping perception by presenting information with a particular angle or 'frame', affecting audience interpretation.

Description: Posits that long-term exposure to media content can shape an individual's perceptions of reality. Impact: Cultivation theory has led to further study on the effects of television and other media in developing societal norms and expectations.

Description: Asserts that audience members actively use media to fulfill specific needs or desires. Impact: This theory shifted the focus from media's effects on individuals to the ways in which individuals use media, thus recognizing the active role of the audience.

Description: Suggests that individuals who perceive their views as being in the minority are less likely to express those views publicly. Impact: This theory has contributed to the understanding of public opinion formation and the role of majority and minority opinions in public discourse and social conformity.

Description: Individuals prefer messages that support their pre-existing attitudes and beliefs and avoid those that do not. Impact: The theory has implications for understanding confirmation bias and the formation of 'echo chambers' in media consumption.

Description: People tend to believe that mass communicated media messages have a greater effect on others than on themselves. Impact: This perception leads to support for media censorship and regulatory policies, as individuals believe others to be more susceptible to media influence.

Description: Details how people are persuaded, suggesting two primary pathways: central (thoughtful and analytical) and peripheral (superficial cues). Impact: ELM has influenced advertising and messaging strategies by describing these two persuasive routes and their use in different contexts.

Description: Proposes that information disseminated through media increases knowledge among higher socioeconomic status groups at a faster rate than among lower status groups. Impact: The theory has implications for educational policy and media literacy, highlighting the need to bridge knowledge disparities.

Description: Asserts that the more an individual depends on media to satisfy needs, the more important media will be in shaping their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Impact: This theory has contributed to our understanding of media's role during crises and the formation of public opinion in information-scarce environments.

Description: Postulates that people learn behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions through observing others in their environment and the media. Impact: This theory has been applied to understand the modeling of behavior in media and its role in educational and behavior change strategies.

Description: Suggests that media's effect on the public’s opinion is indirect and that ideas flow from media to opinion leaders and from them to the wider population. Impact: The theory highlights the role of influencers and the less direct effect of mass media on public opinion formation.

Description: Explains the process through which information is filtered for dissemination, whether for publication, broadcasting, the Internet, or some other mode of communication. Impact: Gatekeeping theory has clarified the power dynamics in information flow and the influence of media organizations in determining what news reaches the public.

Description: Media are able to affect the salience of issues in public perception, essentially 'priming' individuals to give these issues more weight when making judgments. Impact: The theory has implications for political communication strategies and the influence of media on the criteria by which the public evaluates leaders.