Knowledge Gap Hypothesis

The hypothesis

Tichenor, Donohue and Olien (1970) formulated that "as the infusion of mass media information into a social system increases, segments of the population with higher socioeconomic status tend to acquire this information at a faster rate than the lower status segments, so that the gap in knowledge between these segments tends to increase rather than decrease." They demonstrated the tendency by comparing knowledge over time by education level for science news such as the Apollo space program and the link between smoking and cancer. Proposed reasons for the widening gap included differences in learning skills and prior knowledge, in social contacts with whom to discuss the information, in selective exposure and acceptance, and the fact that science and public affairs news was carried mainly by print media used more by higher status groups.

Revisions and conditions

Through Minnesota community studies, Donohue, Tichenor and Olien (1975) reported that gaps could narrow when an issue aroused conflict across the whole community and was widely discussed locally. Ettema and Kline (1977) proposed viewing the gap as stemming from differences in interest and motivation rather than deficits in ability, and suggested that sufficient information flow could produce a ceiling effect in which higher status groups' knowledge levels off while others catch up. Reviewing dozens of studies, Gaziano (1983, 1997) concluded that education-based knowledge gaps are generally confirmed across topics, but whether they widen over time depends on topic and context. Looking back over 25 years of research, Viswanath and Finnegan (1996) emphasized community structure and conflict as key conditions.

Meta-analysis and the digital era

Hwang and Jeong's (2009) meta-analysis of 35 years of research found that education-based knowledge gaps persist and have not clearly narrowed over time. Eveland and Scheufele (2000) reported that newspaper use can widen gaps while television news use can narrow them. Prior (2007) argued that as cable and the internet expanded media choice, politically interested people gained more information while uninterested people drifted to entertainment, widening gaps in political knowledge and participation. Bonfadelli (2002) and Wei and Hindman (2011) reported that the internet can widen education-based knowledge gaps through differences not only in access but in patterns of use, which van Dijk (2005) described as a deepening of the digital divide. The hypothesis is also connected to the Matthew effect, in which the advantaged gain further advantage.

FAQ

What is the knowledge gap hypothesis in simple terms?

You might expect more news and information to make everyone equally informed, but people who are already well educated and good at using information tend to learn faster, so the difference can actually grow.

Do knowledge gaps always widen?

Not always. Research suggests gaps can narrow when an issue sparks conflict that the whole community cares about, when people's interest and motivation are high, or when information is repeated long enough that higher status groups reach a ceiling.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

1. Tichenor, P. J., Donohue, G. A., & Olien, C. N. (1970). Mass media flow and differential growth in knowledge. Public Opinion Quarterly, 34(2), 159–170.
2. Ettema, J. S., & Kline, F. G. (1977). Deficits, differences, and ceilings: Contingent conditions for understanding the knowledge gap. Communication Research, 4(2), 179–202.
3. Donohue, G. A., Tichenor, P. J., & Olien, C. N. (1975). Mass media and the knowledge gap: A hypothesis reconsidered. Communication Research, 2(1), 3–23.
4. Gaziano, C. (1983). The knowledge gap: An analytical review of media effects. Communication Research, 10(4), 447–486.
5. Gaziano, C. (1997). Forecast 2000: Widening knowledge gaps. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 74(2), 237–264.
6. Viswanath, K., & Finnegan, J. R., Jr. (1996). The knowledge gap hypothesis: Twenty-five years later. Annals of the International Communication Association, 19(1), 187–228.
7. Hwang, Y., & Jeong, S.-H. (2009). Revisiting the knowledge gap hypothesis: A meta-analysis of thirty-five years of research. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 86(3), 513–532.
8. Eveland, W. P., Jr., & Scheufele, D. A. (2000). Connecting news media use with gaps in knowledge and participation. Political Communication, 17(3), 215–237.
9. Prior, M. (2007). Post-Broadcast Democracy: How Media Choice Increases Inequality in Political Involvement and Polarizes Elections. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
10. Bonfadelli, H. (2002). The Internet and knowledge gaps: A theoretical and empirical investigation. European Journal of Communication, 17(1), 65–84.
11. Wei, L., & Hindman, D. B. (2011). Does the digital divide matter more? Comparing the effects of new media and old media use on the education-based knowledge gap. Mass Communication & Society, 14(2), 216–235.
12. van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2005). The Deepening Divide: Inequality in the Information Society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.