1. Mass Media

2. What is Public Opinion? Complex collection of the opinions of many different people (on public Affairs) Misconceptions of Public Opinion: –Belief all or most people have the same view Very few matters all or most of “the People” agree on Must involve something of general concern and a significant portion of the people

3. Family And Education Your not born with your values Political Opinions are learned –**From mom and dad** –Teachers/schools –Education –Friends –Experiences and relationships

4. The Role of Mass Media Medium –Means of communication; transmits some kind of information –Four Major Kinds in US Television Newspaper Radio Magazines –Internet is increasing more important every year….replacing newspapers

5. The Role of Mass Media Presents people with political information –Directly in news reports –Less direct: radio, television, newspaper stories, magazine articles

6. Role of Mass Media Television: –Replaced Newspapers as the principal source of political information NBC, ABC, CBS Others: CNN, PBS, etc Newspapers: –Freedom of Press –# of papers continues to Decline with rise of internet

9. Role of Mass Media Radio: –1930’s Major entertainment and political information center –President F. Roosevelt: 1 st to use radio effectively –20 hours of radio a week –Talk Radio Political commentaries

10. Role of Mass Media Magazines: –12,000 published in U.S. today –Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report

11. The Media and Politics Public Agenda –Societal problems that the nation’s political leaders and the general public agree need government attention –Focus public on a particular issue –Don’t tell you what to think but what to think about –Political leaders pay close attention to Media

12. Electoral Politics Make candidates less dependent on party organizations Appeal directly to the people Create their own image Strategy: –Take no more than a minute or two of air time –Show people doing something interesting and exciting –Sound Bites: snappy reports that can be aired 30-45 seconds

13. Role in Campaigns Television advertising is the single largest cost to federal campaigns –2012 Presidential Race 3.8 million –2016 Presidential Race (projected) 4.4 million Information given in sound bites –dropped dramatically, from 43 seconds in the 1968 presidential election to a mere nine seconds in the 1988 election.