Public Opinion, Media, and Interest Groups

Mass Media Mass Media- communication that reaches a vast audience Types of Mass Media Print – newspaper, magazines, newsletters, and books Electronic – Radio, TV, Internet, Social Media

Power of the Media October 30, 1938

War of the Worlds- Orson Welles

PUBLIC Agenda Media creates the public agenda – issues that are the most significant 98% of Americans have televisions in their homes; 70% read the newspaper, 84% use the internet The information that is given to us definitely effects our opinions on issues

Media as a watchdog Media “checks” the government Exposes any wrong doings within government

Polls Polls are surveys taken to measure public opinion Polls can influence your opinion because human nature tells you to follow the norm Pros of Polls Allows politicians to see what is important to voters and better serve their community Cons of Polls Can influence public Can lead officials to follow public agenda instead of their own opinion Can be wrong

Limitations Slander – cannot speak lies Libel – cannot print lies Bias – not supposed to show favor for one group or another

Questions to consider… Should the media be allowed to deliver any news desired, even if it puts national security at risk? How much of an influence do you believe the media has on the public?

Propaganda Propaganda- a technique of persuasion aimed at influencing behavior

Types of Propaganda Glittering Generalities- information that sounds good but is meaningless Bandwagon- urges people to follow the crowd Name-Calling- attacks a person or a policy with a name or label

Types of Propaganda continued… Card-Stacking- presents only one side of the issue and distorts facts Plain Folks- appeals to common people Celebrity Testimonials- uses endorsements from famous people Symbols/Transfer- uses popular symbols to create a positive or negative connotation/association

Special Interest Groups Special Interest Groups are people who share a point of view about an issue and unite to promote their beliefs

Lobbyists A lobbyist is a representative of an interest groups or businesses who contacts lawmakers directly to influence them to support their policies Sometimes lobbyist have a bad reputation, however they are incredibly necessary

Think Tanks Think Tanks are organization of experts researching and advising on issues of society, science, technology, industry, or business

Types of Interest Groups (economic) Business Groups- try to influence government decisions on issues that effect their industry Example- Cigarette manufacturers Labor Groups- unions promote economic interests of workers Example- these want to improve working conditions, benefits, and wages

Types of Interest Groups (economic) Agricultural Groups- want to influence government decisions on farming and ranching Examples- taxes, regulations of crops or animals Professional Groups- professions such as lawyers, doctors, and accountants have interest groups to push for legislation regarding their issues Example- American Medical Association represents doctors

Types of Interest Groups (Non-economic) Public Interest Groups– support causes that affect the lives of Americans in general Example- pollution control, consumer protection Single-Issue Interest Groups– focus on only one cause to support Ideological Groups– support causes that effect certain ethnic groups, age groups, or gender Examples- NAACP & AARP

How can you make change occur? #1 Vote Government based on popular sovereignty Only way to make a difference in officials is to vote #2 Volunteering Offering services to others without payment Gives you chance to help others and contribute to your community

How can you make change occur? #3 Protesting Organizing a group in reaction to a situation or event to try to influence others and/or make a difference #4 Petitioning Submit a formal request for change Usually requires a collection of signatures

How can you make change occur? #5 Surveys Gathering of public opinion that results can be used to promote change Usually conducted on random samples of population #6 Run for Office Obtaining a leadership role on the local, state, or federal level can bring about change throughout the country