Chapter Eight Mass Media Public Opinion Chapter Eight
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.
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 � 60 s and 70 s �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 �Accuracy?
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
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 1950 s. �TV replaced newspapers as the main source of political information in the 1960 s 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?
Radio �In the 1920 s and 1930 s, 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”
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
Cartoon
Limits on Media Influence �Most radio and TV programs do not cover news indepth �Few people follow media coverage of political events closely �People tend to “self-select”
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