Mass Media and Public Opinion Chapter 8

THE FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION Section 1

What is Public Opinion? Public opinion refers to a complex collection of the opinions of many different people – it is the sum of all of their views. – Public opinion, however, refers only to those views that relate directly to public affairs (politics, public issues, and the making of public policies) – It is, therefore, those attitudes held by a significant number of people on matters of government and politics.

Political Socialization and Public Opinion Public opinion is formed out of a very complex process of socialization. – All of the many experiences and relationships throughout our lifetime. – Age, race, income, occupation, residence, group affiliations, etc.

Family and School Family and School are two of the most important of these factors. – Family: Children lay some foundations on which they will later build their political opinions. Children pick up fundamental values such as: a basic slant toward such things as authority and the rules of behavior, property, neighbors, people of other racial or religious backgrounds… etc. – School: Schools act to indoctrinate children in good citizenship and civic values. Children pick up growing amounts of political knowledge and begin to develop political opinions.

Other Factors No single factor can shape a person’s opinion on any single issue, but some factors play a bigger role. – In addition to family and school – occupation and race are usually more significant. – The relative weight of each factor that influences public opinion depends upon the issue. Four additional factors besides family and school seem to play a major role. – Mass Media, Peer Groups, Opinion Leaders, and Historic Events.

Mass Media Mass media include those means of communication that reach large, widely dispersed audiences simultaneously. – Newspapers, radio, magazines, television, and the internet have a huge effect on the formation of public opinion.

Peer Groups People with whom one regularly associates, including friends, classmates, neighbors, co- workers, etc… make up one’s peer group. – Peer groups often reinforce values expressed by family members and schools. – People tend to associate with people of similar backgrounds and beliefs.

Opinion Leaders An opinion leader is any person who, for any reason, has an unusually strong influence on the views of others. – Politicians, mass media personalities, labor/business leaders, religious leaders, academics. – Leaders within a local community.

Historic Events Historic events can have a major impact on the views of large numbers of people – and a major impact on the direction of public policy. – Ex and National Security – Ex. The “Great Recession” and Economic Policy