Final answer:
Initially, media was thought to have direct effects on audiences, but later theories including the minimal effects theory and the cultivation theory suggested a more nuanced impact. Additionally, the transition to digital media resulted in a negative effect on the demand for traditional news sources.
Step-by-step explanation:
The common early assumption about the impact of media is that it had direct effects on its audience. However, as research evolved, it became clear that the effect of media on individuals and society was less straightforward. Studies in the 1930s and 1940s introduced the minimal effects theory, suggesting that media have little influence on citizens and voters, with information often being diluted through social discussions.
By contrast, the cultivation theory of the 1970s proposed that media help develop a person's worldview by presenting a constructed reality, thereby setting norms for readers and viewers. Moreover, the shift from traditional news sources to digital news sources led to a change in demand for the former, which could be characterized as a negative effect on demand for traditional media.