Mass Media and Public Opinion Chapter 8 Mass Media and Public Opinion

Opinions Private Opinion Public Opinion Own View Intensity Differs Most or all of Americans Attitudes held by a significant number of people EX: protest demonstrations, film, billboard, voting

Different Publics Many Hold same view on issue Public Affairs Politics Public issues Public policies

Family and Education Family School 1st encounter with political world Parent comments/stories Watching television with family School Learn about historic figures Teaches values Ex: recite Pledge of Allegiance

Other Factors Single issue Mass media Peer groups Opinion leaders Newspapers, magazines, radio, internet, TV Peer groups Friends, classmates, neighbors, co-workers Opinion leaders Hold public office, writers, broadcasters, doctors Historic events Great Depression, assassinations, war

Measuring Public Opinion Elections Interest Groups Media Personal Contacts

Elections Votes cast for different candidates Mandate Not very accurate measure of public opinion Voter choices

Interest Groups Private organizations Share certain views and objectives “Pressure Groups” and “Special Interest Groups” Lobbyist Letters, phone calls

Media T.V., newspapers, magazines, blogs Not very accurate measure of public opinion

Personal Contacts Try to read the public’s mind Bags of mail Phone calls Emails Trips home Encounter public in offices, meetings, social gatherings, baseball games

Polls-The Best Measure Straw Votes Ask same question Given to large number of people Fairly common Very unreliable Literary Digest

Polls Cont… Scientific Polling National and regional polling organizations Get public preference on various issues Americans Just As Proud to be an American Citizen Now as After 9/11 Two-thirds say living in freedom and owning a home are parts of the American Dream

The Polling Process Defining the Universe Constructing a Sample Prepare valid questions Select and control how poll will be taken Analyze and report findings

Universe Whole population-aims to measure Opinions the polls wants to discover EX: all voters in Ohio, Madison High School students

Constructing a Sample Not possible to poll everyone Representative slice Random sample Randomly selected people Need sufficient size Majority polls 1,500 people Sufficient size+Random=accurate results Quota sample Less reliable

Preparing Valid Questions Question wording Phrase questions carefully No difficult terms No emotionally charged words Did you vote in the 2004 and 2006 election?

Interviewing and Analyzing Tone of voice Carefully worded EX: door to door, Random digit dialing Analyzing Computers Technology Publish findings

Evaluating Polls Fairly reliable Difficulty measuring Scientific Polls Intensity Stability Relevance Scientific Polls Most useful tool at measuring public opinion

Limits on the Impact of Public Opinion Polls are not elections Opinions vs. concrete information Democracy

Role of Mass Media Means of communication Television Newspapers Radio Magazines

Television Politics and television More televisions than plumbing Replaced newspapers CBS, ABC, NBC FOX CNN, Turner Broadcasting PBS

Newspapers 1740 1st Amendment- Freedom of Press 10,000+ newspapers in U.S. Local papers

Radio 1920 Music, news, sports, programs 20 hours each week most are local Devote few minutes to the news

Magazines 1741 12,000 published in U.S. Golf Digest, Teen, American Rifleman, Consumer Reports

Media and Politics Public Agenda Electoral Politics Public issues that are focused on Media power Electoral Politics Candidates less dependent on party organizations Appeal to the people Stories Less than a minute Show people doing something

Limits on Media Influence 15% that vote are well informed Selective Few public affair programs in prime time Interest