1. Political Opinion and Mass Media
Chapter 9

2. Public Opinion
The sum of individual opinions about a public person or issue
Shapes ideology
Shapes party identification
Shapes filters we use to inform us on public issues and candidates

3. Forming Political Opinion
Political socialization
Family
Gender
Religion
Education
Race / Ethnicity
Region

4. How is public opinion shaped?
Special interest groups
Journalists, politicians, opinion makers (experts, celebrities)
Statements by politician
Reagan’s Agenda
Obama’s Agenda

5. Measuring Public Opinion
Political Polling
Nonrandom sample (everyone does not have an equal chance to participate in sample)
Straw polls
Man on the street interview
inaccurate
Random Sample (everyone has an equal change to participate in the sample
Scientific polling
Population
Sample
Questions
Margin of error ()

6. Measuring Public Sentiment
George Gallup
CNN
“What do you think is the most important problem facing this country?”
Error: phone list in Truman / Dewey race
Error: cell phone v. landline

7. Polling in Campaigns Benchmark polling: test the waters Tracking polls
Exit polls
Misuse of polls
Push polls
Call in or internet straw polls - not random

8. Mass Media
Those sources of information and means of communication that reach large numbers of people
Newspapers
Magazines
Radio
Television
4th Estate
Internet (blogs)
New media: Facebook, Twitter

9. New Media Facebook Twitter Instagram
Algorithms vs. reverse chronological order
Your personal tastes, preferences and creates a personalized feed or stream
Filtered v. unfiltered
Flint Michigan water crises

10. Government Regulation of Mass Media
Print Media
Prior restraint
Shield laws
Libel
Branzburg v. Hayes: press does not have special access to information not available to the public
Sell air waves

11. Freedom of the Broadcast Media
FCC control
Equal time doctrine
Third party / minor parties complained; got some inclusion
John Anderson 1980
Ross Perot 1996

12. Political Influence of the Media
Influence campaigns / elections
Setting the Public Agenda
Gatekeeper
Watchdogs
Scorekeeper

13. New Media 1960 - people got news from newspapers
people get news from tv
Focus on the news
60 minutes
20/20
Dateline
online news consumers
www
Blogs
2013: news through social media.

14. Influencing the Media Stage events
On the record conversations v. off the record conversations
Spin
Sound bites
Trial balloons
Leaks

15. Influence of Media Provide information: news media Issue ads
Sound bites
Radio - ‘provides facts’
Some newspapers influential
World wide web: news, blogs

16. Changing Role of the Media
Political mouthpiece
Financial independence
‘objective journalism’
Investigative journalism
Media conglomerates
Regulating media
Fairness doctrine (repealed 1987)

17. New Mediator in American Politics
Media informs citizens
Parties lost control of nominating process
Public opinion
Form - new issues
Draw attention to a problem

18. Factors that Limit the Influence of the Media
Political socialization
Selectivity
Selective exposure
Selective perception
Needs
Recall and comprehension
Audience fragmentation

19. Media Bias Conservatives: too liberal Liberals: too conservative
Professionally trained: college educated
Similar culture: urban, cosmopolitan, upper class
Too friendly with government
Liberals: too conservative
Media is a corporation
Profit
Sensationalism

20. Public Opinion Agenda setting: call public attention to an issue
Somalia
Issue framing: ‘spin’ or explain the issue in terms which allow one to do what ‘is needed’
Tax surplus = save social security

21. Media affects Elections
Choice of candidates
Telegenic, pleasing voice, no physical impairments
Campaign events
Photo ops
Sound bites
Technology
Image making
Media consultants

22. Media and Campaigns Debates: Kennedy v. Nixon
Image Making: war chest; soft spots; focus groups
Issue v. Image
Positive
Negative (mudslinging)
Photo Ops & Streamline Conventions
Races
Horserace: who is ahead
Soap opera stories: ups and downs
Gotcha journalism: candidate makes a mistake

23. Propaganda Techniques in Political Ads
Assertion
Bandwagon
Card stacking
Glittering generalities
Lesser of two evils
Name calling
Pinpoint the enemy
Plain folk
Simplification (stereotyping)
Testimonials
Transfer

24. Contemporary Propaganda Techniques
Bad science/junk
Bait and switch
Big lie
Buzzwords
Comic books
Demonizing
Disinformation/
misinformation
Divide and conquer
Front groups
Guerrilla marketing
Photographic manipulation
Politics of personal destruction
Political code words
Product placement
Quoting out of context
Repetition
Swiftboating
Viral marketing

25. Media and Voter Choice Horse race Negative advertising
Information about issues
Making a decision
Election night reporting
Drives partisanship: Congress & voters

26. Summary: Role of the Media
Watchdog
investigate
Gatekeeper
Filter what becomes news
Scorekeeper
Who is ahead / behind