Abstract: Traditional mass communication theories such as “gatekeepers”, “agenda setting” and “spiral of silence” have been impacted in the new media era, but their applicability still exists. In the online public opinion in colleges and universities, such characteristics as the particularity of main body, the complexity of content and the rapidity of transmission have broken the management pattern of colleges and universities, challenged the management methods and impacted the image shaping. Based on the perspective of mass communication theory innovation, colleges and universities should change their concepts and establish a new type of new media “gatekeeper” mechanism. They should positively respond, and subtly guide the “agenda setting” of online public opinion. Also they ought to improve the mechanism and break the “spiral of silent” phenomenon of online public opinion so as to construct a network public opinion guidance mechanism in the new media era.

Key words: new media, online public opinion, mass communication, colleges and universities