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PUBLIC OPINION AND THE MASS MEDIA
Public Opinion
Are the attitudes held by a significant number of people on government and politics Sum of all opinions NOT mass opinion
Truth is sometimes irrelevant, what matters is what
people think is true
Factors that Shape Public Opinion
1. Family2. Formal education3. Mass media4. Peer groups (work, community,
friends)5. Opinion leaders (public office, media
stars)6. Historic events ( 9/11, The Great
Depression)
How is Public Opinion Measured?
Polls: 1200 random sample Intensity and validity of sample always
questioned Elections Interest groups The media
The Mass Media
Functions: Entertainment and profit making Reporting the news
Infotainment a driving force Socializing tool Providing a public forum
Types of Media
1. Print: magazines and newspapers
Declining in impact/ victim of creative destruction
2. Electronic Radio Television
Commercial tv & radio are regulated by government
Cable: fragmentation of audience Lets you decide what you want
to hear
Types of Media cont.
3. Internet Questionable validity and biasDo blogs contribute to the polarization or
allowing for diversity of opinion?
Campaign Information
Sources:1. Commercial television (60%)2. MSNBC3. CNN4. Yahoo5. Google News6. Fox
Old Types of Media
In decline Newspapers have lost circulation and
network news audiences declined Splintered audience Media outlets have become partisan and
ideological, objectivity and neutrality less valued