Chapter 5 Public Opinion and the Media

Chapter 5: Public Opinion and the Media

What Is Public Opinion? Some opinions are formed early and remain stable throughout a lifetime. Others are more fluid and vary with events (latent opinions).

Where Do Opinions Come From? Political socialization – a process whereby political opinions are shaped by one’s parents, family, community, and culture Events Group identity Political realignment

Where Do Opinions Come From?

Politicians and Public Opinion

Sampling Error in Mass Surveys

Measuring Public Opinion Problems getting a random sample Face-to-face interviewing is best, but it is difficult to generate a random sample. Random digit dialing is useful, but the inability to call cell phone numbers may be a problem. Robo-polls face criticism and doubts about sample selection.

The Impact of Question Wording: Attitudes on Abortion

Measuring Public Opinion The accuracy of public opinion Some people may not take surveys as seriously as we assume. The more relevant the survey question is to one’s everyday life, the more seriously the respondent tends to treat the question.

Measuring Public Opinion Survey results are most believable when: The many problems with surveys are taken seriously by the survey developer. The questions are simple to understand. The topic is familiar. Multiple surveys confirm the same result.

Liberal–Conservative Ideology in America,

Party identification in America, 1970–2010

Measuring American Public Opinion: Beliefs about Government

Policy Mood

Characteristics of American Public Opinion Economic conditions Americans are almost always worried about the economy. But what is “the economy”? Gas prices Unemployment Grocery prices Stock market Home prices (the home is the most valuable asset most people possess)

Does Public Opinion Matter? If not, then politicians, journalists, and political scientists spend a lot of time worrying about it for nothing. Some argue that the political process often ignores broad swaths of people, and this means that public opinion does not matter.

TRUST IN GOVERNMENT

News Media in America Mass media – sources that provide information to average citizens on a day-to-day basis Mainstream media – media sources that predate the Internet, such as newspapers, magazines, and broadcast news News cycle – the time between the release of information and its publication

Comparing News Sources Newspapers Magazines and books Wire services Television broadcast news Cable television AM talk radio Internet

The Internet and Political Journalism

Who Controls Mass Media? Deregulation Media conglomerates – companies that control a wide range of news sources Cross-ownership – one company owning several types of media outlets, often in same community

Political Knowledge Levels by News Source

Media Effects: How Does Media Affect our Political Perceptions? Media effects – the influence of coverage on average citizens’ opinions and actions Filtering – the influence on public opinion that results from journalists’ and editors’ decisions about which of many potential news stories to report Slant – the imbalance in a story that covers one candidate or policy favorably without providing similar coverage of the other side

Measuring Media Effects Priming – the influence on the public’s general impressions caused by positive or negative coverage of a candidate or issue Framing – the influence on public opinion caused by the way a story is presented or covered, including the details, explanations, and context offered in the report

Public Opinion Poll Do you agree or disagree that the policies of the U.S. government represent the preferences and opinions of the American people? a)Strongly agree b)Agree c)Disagree d)Strongly disagree

Public Opinion Poll Americans vary enormously in their knowledge about government and politics, yet we treat all opinions as having equal weight. Should everyone’s political opinions be treated equally? a)Yes b)No

Public Opinion Poll Which of the following political values do you believe is most important? a)Equality of opportunity b)Liberty c)Democracy

Public Opinion Poll Which of the following do you feel has had the greatest influence on your political values? a)Family b)Social groups (racial, religious, national) c)Education d)Political conditions/experiences

Public Opinion Poll Which of the following sources do you use most frequently to get your news: a)Internet b)Newspaper c)Television d)I do not follow the news.

Public Opinion Poll Do you believe the media has a conservative or liberal bias, or no real political bias? a)Liberal bias b)Conservative bias c)No real political bias

Public Opinion Poll When you watch the news on television, which station are you most likely to watch? a)CNN b)FOX News c)MSNBC d)Major network ABC/CBS/NBC news station

Public Opinion Poll During a typical week, how many days do you watch or read news, not including sports, on the Internet? a)0 days b)1–2 days c)3–4 days d)5 or more days

Public Opinion Poll “There should be limits on media criticism of the government during a time of war.” Do you agree with this statement? a)Strongly agree b)Agree c)Disagree d)Strongly disagree

Chapter 5: Public Opinion and the Media Practice quizzes Flashcards Outlines wwnorton.com/studyspace

Following this slide, you will find additional slides with photos, figures, and captions from the textbook.

Public Opinion and the Media