ABSTRACT
The growth of modern media theory can be traced when US academicians watched in astonishment as Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, a power attained and maintained through the dictator's effective use of propaganda and persuasion. Through his public speeches and public relations campaigns, Hitler developed a solid base of national support for his radical ideas. Apparently, if Hitler presented a well-constructed and well-delivered message to the German populace, it was almost invariably effective with most of the populace. This conclusion led observers to make assumptions that came to be considered the first classic model of mass media effects, a theory alternately referred to as either the "bullet" theory or "hypodermic" model. Jowett and O'Donnell describe propaganda as "a form of communication that is different from persuasion because it attempts to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist". That sums up the candidate's goal in a political campaign, and propaganda prospers as a result.
