Media-system dependency

Media-System Dependency, first introduced by Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur (1976), is defined as “a relationship in which the capacity of individuals to attain their goals is contingent upon the information resources of the media system.” Those information resources can be categorized as the ability to create and gather, process, and disseminate information. According to Baran and Davis (2009), "media systems dependency theory assumes that the more a person depends on having his or her needs met by media use, the more important will be the role that media play in the person’s life, and therefore the more influence those media will have on the person" (p. 273). As the world becomes more complex, people turn to media to make sense of what’s happening. The more a person relies on media for information, the more that person is influenced by media. >