Public Opinion and The Mass Media Forming Public

Public Opinion and The Mass Media

Forming Public Opinion • Public opinion includes the ideas and attitudes that most people hold about elected officials, candidates, government, and political issues. • It helps shape the decisions of every president as well as the timing of the decisions.

The Mass Media • Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, recordings, movies, and books are called the mass media because they communicate broadly to masses of people. • Issues and events the mass media cover and the way they cover them affect people’s attitudes.

The Media’s Impact on Politics and Government • The problems that receive the most time, money, and effort from government leaders make up the public agenda. • The media have great influence on which problems governments consider important. • They publicize some while others go unnoticed.

Leaks • Officials may secretly pass on, or leak, information to friendly reporters. • Leaks allow them to test public reaction before deciding whether to publicly move ahead with a proposal or to quietly drop it. • They also use leaks to make competing officials look bad, to change public opinion on an issue, or to gain favor with a reporter. • Leaks benefit reporters by allowing them to report “inside” information.

“Watchdog” • The mass media play a “watchdog” role. • By exposing government misconduct, they serve both their interests and the public interest.

Freedom of the Press v. Classified Information • There is tension between the American citizens’ need for information and the need for government to keep secrets to protect national security. • The government can control information the media report by classifying it as secret and limiting coverage of military actions.

The FCC • The government has the power to decide who gets access to the limited number of airwaves available for radio and television broadcasting. • The Federal Communications Commission cannot censor broadcasts, but it can penalize stations that violate its rules.

Components of Public Opinion • Experts often describe public opinion in terms of: • Direction - Refers to whether opinions on a topic are positive or negative, for or against • Intensity - Refers to the strength of opinion on an issue • Stability – Refers to how firmly people hold their views • Public opinion on candidates is relatively unstable.

Measuring Public Opinion • Election results give a broad measure of public opinion. • A more accurate measure comes from asking people to answer questions in a survey, or public opinion poll.

Pros and Cons of Polling • Some people believe polls support democracy by allowing officials to keep in touch with citizens’ opinions on issues. • Critics claim polling makes officials more concerned with following the public than in leading.

Other Criticisms • Many people worry that polls distort elections. • During campaigns, the media constantly report who is ahead at the moment, taking the focus off the issues. • Also, some people may decide not to vote if they think the outcome has been determined.