Public Opinion and Mass Media

The Formation of Public Opinion

• What is Public Opinion?• Those attitudes held by a significant number of

people on matters of Government and Politics

‘Public Opinion’

• The phrase is used incorrectly all too often by newspapers, media, tv resources…

• Media suggests that ALL AMERICANS have the same opinion…

• There are very few matters on which Americans think exactly alike…

Public Affair

• Those issues that include:– Politics– Public Issues– Policy Making

Issues that concern the PUBLIC AT LARGE

How do we get out Public Opinions?

• Family and Education- none of us are born with inbred attitudes about politics and issues, instead we acquire them from

1. Family

2. Education

FAMILY

• Most Parents think of themselves as agents of political socialization…

• Fundamental Attitudes, Morals, and Values- WHICH EVENTUALLY DEVELOP POLITCAL ATTITUDES begin to form at a young age…

THE SCHOOLS

• Formal Schooling marks the initial break in the influence of family

• Children become influenced by activities outside the home

• Socialization occurs, and informal schooling comes along with a variety of experiences…

• OUTSIDE influences become a factor in choice making…

QUESTION:

• Which are the most important factors in political socialization?

1. family and education

2. race and occupation

3. peer groups and opinion leaders

4. mass media and historic events

MASS MEDIA

• Communication that reaches a large widely dispersed audience simultaneously

– Radio– magazines– Internet– Public TV

Media

• Newspapers – Number of daily newspapers has declined significantly – Number of cities with multiple papers has declined

• 60 percent of cities had competing newspapers in 1900 • Only 4 percent in 1972

– Newspaper circulation has fallen since 1967 – Most people now get most of their news from television

• Radio and television – Intensely competitive, becoming more so – Composed mostly of locally owned and managed enterprises,

unlike Europe – Orientation to local market – Limitations by FCC; widespread ownership created

QUESTION:

• How has television affected political campaigns? 1. It has made candidates use more polls.

2. It has made candidates less dependent on political parties.

3. It has led to less coverage of the issues.

4. It has made the public less interested in elections.

PEER GROUPS

• People with whom one regularly associates…

• Usually reinforces what one usually has already come to believe– Trust in Friends– Like Minds usually have similar

backgrounds/experiences…

OPINION LEADERS

• Views expressed by prominent people bear heavily on public opinion

• Most OPINION LEADERS hold public office…

• Others are prominent business, agricultural, civic leaders…

Who Are Opinion Leaders?

• Can Be Popular Culture Icons as well…• Whatever their background they play significant

roles in the formation of public opinion

Measuring Public Opinion

• Elections…

Interest Groups

• Private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy

• PRESSURE GROUS OR SPECIAL INTERETS GROUPS

POLLS- The Best Measure…

• Public Opinion Polls- attempts to collect information about the potential voting outcome…more scientific methods do exist

• STRAW VOTE- early method; sought to read the public’s mind by asking the same questions…

Scientific Polling…

• Serious effort to measure the publics opinion on a scientific basis

• POST 1930’s

• Currently OVER 1000 National Polling Organizations..

• MOST ACCURATE MEASURE

The order of the five basic steps in a scientific poll is:

• defining the universe, constructing a sample, preparing valid questions, interviewing, analyzing and reporting findings.

• JUST LIKE A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT!

The Polling Process…

• DEFINE THE UNIVERSE- entire population of voters

• SAMPLE- A representative of the total universe

• RANDOM SAMPLE- aka-probability sample, pollster interviews random people

• QUOTA SAMPLE- sample deliberated constructed to reflect several of the major characteristics of given universe

Preparing Valid Questions…

• Responsible pollsters acknowledge these issues and phrase their questions very carefully

The Role of Mass Media

• Media- a means of communication that transports information…

• The Media playa a role in shaping the PUBLIC AGENDA

Public Agenda- the societal problems that political leasers and citizens agree need Governmental attention…

The Role Of Interest Groups

• They seek to influence PUBLIC POLICY

• Public Policy- includes all the goals a Government sets and the various courses of action it pursues as an attempt to realize these goals.

Interest Groups

• Joining w/others who share your views is both practical and democratic

• Sometimes called PRESSURE GROUPS

POLITICAL PARTIES V. INTEREST GROUPS

• Different from One another in 3 ways:

1. IN MAKING NOMINATIONS

2. IN THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS

3. IN THE SCOPE OF THEIR INTERSTS.