Chapter Eight: Mass Media & Public Opinion

Chapter Eight Section One

Key Terms Public Affairs Public Opinion Mass Media Peer Group Opinion Leader

Introduction What is public opinion, and what factors help to shape it? Public opinion consists of the attitudes held by a significant number of people about public affairs— matters of government and politics. It is shaped by a wide variety of factors, such as family, school, race, occupation, gender, mass media, peer groups, opinion leaders, and historic events.

Different Publics Public opinion in the United States is typically divided. Any given public issue is likely to have separate groups with their own points of view. In addition, people disagree about which public issues are important. Few issues capture the attention of all Americans. Most issues are of little interest to the majority.

Public Affairs Public affairs include events and issues involving politics, public issues, and the making of public policies. Examples include political parties, candidates, taxes, unemployment, national defense, foreign policy, and so forth. Technically, public opinion includes only those views that relate to public affairs.

Political Socialization What is it? Family Influence School Influence Other Factors Occupation Race Gender Mass Media Peer Groups Historic Events

Mass Media The mass media includes radio, television, magazines, and newspapers. More than 98 percent of the 115 million U.S. households have a television, and most are turned on for eight or more hours a day.

Opinion Leader Some people listen to and draw ideas from opinion leaders. Many opinion leaders hold public office, while others are journalists or prominent members of society. What is the cartoonist implying about the media?

Historic Events Great Depression Economy Increased role of government 60s and 70s Civil Rights Watergate Vietnam War

Chapter Eight Section Two

Key Terms Mandate Interest Group Public Opinion Poll Straw Vote Universe Sample Random Sample Quota Sample

Measuring Public Opinion Election results reflect public opinion to some degree, but often express voters’ views only on a few broad issues. The people also express their opinions in e-mails, letters, phone calls, or public meetings. The media both mirrors and helps shape public opinion. Interest groups share the views of their members in hopes of influencing policy.

Public Opinion Poll Public opinion is best measured by polls that ask people questions, but scientific polling techniques are needed to get accurate results. What do you think the cartoonist is saying about pollsters here?

Straw Polls Straw polls try to measure public opinion by asking many people the same questions, often by phone, email, or mail. This method is very unreliable, as there is no guarantee that the people who respond represent an accurate cross- section of the population. For example, a straw poll during the Great Depression picked the wrong presidential winner because it overlooked the large number of poor people who voted.

Scientific Polls Scientific polls are more sophisticated and accurate than straw polls. There are hundreds of polling organizations in the U.S. today. Gallup and Pew Research Center are two of the best known. Scientific polls have five basic steps: Define the universe to be surveyed Construct a sample Prepare valid questions Select and control how the poll is taken Analyze and report the results

Universe and Sample The universe is the group whose opinions the poll tries to discover. Sample Random Sample Accuracy? Margin of Error Quota Sample

Interviewing and Analyzing Well-Drawn Questions The Mac operating system rarely gets infected by viruses and therefore Department of Education should only purchase Mac computers (Yes/No). Pollsters use computers to analyze and publish polling data and findings.

Examples Gallup Poll: Daily Obama Job Approval Gallup Poll: Presidential Job Approval Outlook Pew Research: Public Perceptions of Privacy and Security Post- Snowden Era

Evaluating Polls When evaluating the intent of a poll, ask yourself the following questions: Who is responsible for the poll? Polls sponsored by political campaigns may try to mislead voters. Why is the poll being conducted? Polls meant to boost a candidate’s approval ratings are not reliable.

Evaluating Polls When evaluating a poll’s methods, ask yourself the following questions: What is the poll’s universe? Ask if the sample is truly representative. How was the sample chosen? Samples should be selected randomly. How were questions written and asked? Leading questions can alter results. When was the data collected? Opinions change quickly during elections.

Evaluating Polls What is difficult for polls to measure? Intensity: how strongly someone holds an opinion. Stability: how likely an opinion is to change. Relevance: how important an opinion is to the person who holds it. What are the dangers of polls?

Chapter Eight: Section Three The Mass Media

Role of Mass Media Five major types: Television Internet Radio Newspapers Magazines Independent of Government Importance?

Role of Mass Media

Television Television news began to boom in the 1950s. TV replaced newspapers as the main source of political information in the 1960s and is the main source of news for 80% of Americans today.

Newspapers “…were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” (Thomas Jefferson) Main source of news in colonies and early part of our nation Influence? Decline

Radio In the 1920s and 1930s, radio became a major source of political news FDR Fireside Chats Talk Show Hosts Rush Limbaugh Rachel Maddow Is radio still relevant today?

The Internet Fast becoming major source of political news Nearly 2/3 of Americans go online on regular basis Caters to all political interests

Social Media Fundamental to social media is the “displacement of traditional hierarchies by networks” (Seib) Networks: interconnected nodes “Rewiring of the central nervous system of civil society, with unprecedented empowerment of individuals who take advantage of communication tools” (Castells) Fundamental shift in broadcasting of message

2012 Election & Social Media

Media & Public Opinion Shapes public agenda & social problems People rely on media for most of information they receive on public issues Nontraditional sources? Media as mirror/molder of what policy issues public thinks Taking a look at news sites…

Cartoon

Limits on Media Influence Most radio and TV programs do not cover news in-depth Few people follow media coverage of political events closely People tend to “self- select” political news