Introduction
Introduction The two step of flow theory was proposed by Lazarsfeld. in 1948 based on the study of voting behaviours. In this study, they found that mass communication does not influence people’s attitudes, and that there are other factors that determine voters’ intention to vote. This theory supports the idea that the impact of mass communication on people is not direct, but two step flow of communication process: the influence from the mass media first reaches the opinion leader, who then communicates what they read and hear to the people they influence (I Think, 2010).
New model of two step flow
With the development of the Internet, the role of the Internet has become more and more important in the process of spreading social events. If the traditional two step flow model is the model of “mass media — opinion leader — social public”, then the two step of flow in the era of we media is “self-media — community fans — social public”.
In the era of traditional media, the production of information content mainly comes from authoritative media and their practitioners who master the discourse platform, and only content that has been checked by authoritative media can enter the information circulation.
Nowadays, We-media become more and more popular, the emergence of we-media has starting to decentralize the media industry, giving users and an average person the ability to create and share, where everyone can produce content and become a we-media creator, Yang (2021) reported. There is no doubt that UGC(user-generated content) occupies an important place in this era, it has become an important traffic front in the Internet world, such as social media software such as TikTok and YouTube. We-media users have become important and innovative content producers, influencing their own community fans and projecting them onto mass media, giving birth to popular trends, public opinion topics, and consumption hotspots again and again.
Example
There is a case of a Chinese girl Li Ziqi who became popular by posting videos of traditional Chinese food and crafts on the Internet, gaining a lot of fans. Today, she has more than 17 million subscribers on Youtube and is reported by the social media as a new way to export traditional culture.
Li Ziqi is a young girl with tender appearance, she always wears plain clothes in the video and works hard to make traditional food, such an image can easily win the audience’s favor. The soothing atmosphere she portrays in the video heals many people and resonates with universal yearning for a better life (Global Times, 2023). In this communication process, the KOL dissolve the “hostility” of the audience due to their normal civilian status, shorten the psychological distance with the audience. At the same time, the content information they output has a certain degree of professionalism which can help them won the trust of the audience. The opinion leader who with both “civilian” and “professional” characteristics can be accepted by the decentralized, equal and interactive media communication field.
Conclusion
The emergence of We-media has allowed a new model of two step flow has gradually taken over our lives. In this condition, the appearance of more KOLs that are widely recognized by a given community is an effective way to improve information dissemination. People in this era generally feel that life is fast-paced and stressful. Although we are in the information society, still feel empty. Among the many food video genres, Li Ziqi’s ancient style food stands out and is popular at home and abroad because it gives people spiritual comfort through the “slow” and “simple” in traditional culture.
The low standards for We-media have provided the public with a voice, one of the benefits contributed by the development of the internet. The monetization of KOL community fans can help the development of the cultural industry. However, KOL’s content production is often uneven, and KOLs should be treated rationally and should not be blindly chased.
Reference list:
Matei SA, (2010). Is two-step flow theory still relevant for social media research?. Available from: https://matei.org/ithink/2010/07/30/is-stop-step-flow-theory-still-relevant-for-social-media-research/
Yang B, (2021). The Acceleration of We-media In China. Available from: https://whoknowschina.com/acceleration-of-wemedia/
Chen X, (2023). Why everyone wants stellar influencer Li Ziqi back. Available from: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202310/1299535.shtml
The link of the video: https://youtu.be/FWMIPukvdsQ?feature=shared
Yes, as you said with the growth of the internet, everyone can be a media creator and KOL has shown expertise and crossover at the same time in the new media environment.For example, Li Ziqi’s influence stems from the professional knowledge and skills she can offer as well as the public’s recognition and trust in her professionalism, which gathers influence and creates a certain level of authority. But at the same time, the decentralisation of network technology has broken down the barriers between various professional fields and lowered the threshold of information production and dissemination. This has led to a surge in the number of cross-field KOL, so we should be sensible and not follow them blindly.
I am very intrigued about the discussion of how there is now a new model of two step flow theory with the presence of “we-media”!
Since almost anyone can create and share content on the internet, it really does allow more people to become key opinion leaders themselves and form their own communities where they can use their influence such as Li Ziqi. I found the blog easy to follow through thanks to the clear structure from the nice introduction to a solid conclusion! I agree with your last statement that we should always treat these key opinion leaders with rationality and be mindful of their intent and reasoning, as they could be misleading the audience with unjustified knowledge.
Your post was very intriguing to me, I know Liziqi and she has really brought us closer to the so-called opinion leaders because what she does is often very ordinary, like a sister in our daily lives. I think it’s also because she draws us closer that this spreads faster and is more accessible to us!
Thank you for sharing. With the help of this blog, I have seen how communication has changed over time, from Lazarsfeld’s two-step flow theory to the current micro-media era.It contains works related to Ziqi Li and the influence of user-generated content. I think a more in-depth analysis of the impact of this shift would have been more interesting. By the way, I’d like to ask what changes you think the rise of self-publishing and KOLs will bring to culture and public opinion in the digital age?