Two step theory

Above are the important words in this two step theory.
This theory is known as the two step communication theory, or the multistep model. The theory states that most people create their opinions  under the influence of opinion leaders, who in tern are influenced by mass media. According to this theory, opinions flow from mass media, to opinion leaders to a wider population.
This theory says that people form their opinions based on peoples opinions that are formed by the media. The opinion leaders are those who are exposed to specific media content and who interpreted it based on their own opinion. These opinions they get filtered through to the general public who then become the opinion followers. The opinion leaders gain their influence from more elite media  as apposed to the mainstream mass media. Social media is created by the opinions of each specific elite media group's opinions, thus leading the influence on peoples own opinions.
The theory was first thought to be thought up by Lazarsfeld and Katz.
Paul Lazarsfeld was one of the first people to embark on communications research and introduced  'administrative research' and 'critical research' these two types of research then went on to help him product the two step theory.
Elihu Katz was a professor in the school for communication USA and began to collaborate in 1955 with Lazarsfeld to observe the flow of communication between a wider mass of people. They both went on to write a book together  adequately named 'Personal Influence'. within this book was their studies of the flow of information.