1. Public Opinion, Interest Groups and the Mass Media
Chapter 10

2. Interest Groups
Interest groups are private organizations that try to persuade public officials to respond to the shared attitudes of their members
Interest groups have been viewed with suspicion
Interest groups raise awareness in public affairs and allow members to achieve a common goal
Represent their members
Provide information to government

3. Types of Interest Groups
Economic Interest Groups – business groups, trade associations, labor groups, agricultural groups, professional groups
Groups that promote causes – ACLU, National Right to Life Committee, National Rifle Association, Sierra Club
Groups that promote the welfare of certain groups – AARP, NAACP, Christian Coalition
Public Interest Groups – League of Women Voters, Common Cause, MADD

4. Techniques of Interest Groups
Influencing public opinion
Propaganda
Lobbying
Influencing elections – campaigning and contributing money through PACs

5. The Media
Print – magazines, newspapers; early newspapers were often financed by political groups
Electronic – cable, satellite, network (“free”), radio, internet
Mass Media v. Group Media

6. Roles of the Media Reporting the news Interpreting the news
Influencing public opinion
Setting the political agenda
Providing a link between citizens and government

7. Who Controls the Media?
Media is driven by the “profit motive” and audience ratings – What benefits them!
Protected by the First Amendment - HOW?
News departments can be affected by who owns the media – HOW?

8. Use of the Media
Use of the media by the President in news conferences and speeches
Free media coverage for making news
Use of “leaks”
Love/Hate relationship between the press and politicians

9. Media Influence
News filtering (accidental and intentional): time slots, lead stories, story lines
Media as Gatekeeper, Scorekeeper, Watchdog

10. Print Media
Has less and less affect – more than 50% of the population gets 100% of their news from TV; internet based news continues to grow in influence

11. TV News Cuts across age groups, social groups, economic groups
Captive audiences
Vivid, emotion, dramatic
Has contributed to distrust of all institutions including the media itself through investigative reports
Political Satire IS SATIRE?

12. Rules Governing the Media
The Federal Communications Commission was established in 1934
Rules relating to ownership, equal access air time, libel, slander
First Amendment protects freedom of the press
Under what branch of government is the FCC?

13. POLLS - Assignment Pros and Cons of Polls
PRO: broken down clear opinions
CONS: People can lie, not everyone answers, etc.
Pick 3 topics
Neutral, and biased questioning.
3 questions on each side: against, neutral and in favor.

14. PROJECT
You will work individually and organize information about an issue of your choosing from the following options
Crime rate
Pollution
Bullying
Violence in the media
Write neutral questions to learn about public opinion on that issue (conducting this poll on 5-10 people)
You must include peoples age group, and gender.
Create a media piece(newspaper, television commercial, webpage, advertisement to influence public opinion on the issue.