Esser, Frank (2008). History of Media Effects. In Wolfgang Donsbach (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Communication (Vol. VII). London: Blackwell, 2891-2896. (original) (raw)

The article provides an overview of the historical context of media effects research and its evolution from the early theories that portrayed audiences as passive recipients of media messages to later models that emphasize active audience engagement and the selective nature of media consumption. It highlights significant studies and concepts, such as Lazarsfeld's two-step flow of communication and Klapper's limited effects theory, which illustrate the complex interactions between media and audiences over time.