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Mass Media & Public Opinion

Mass Media & Public Opinion. Chapter 8-9. Public Opinion. Public opinion Attitudes held by a significant number of people concerning political issues. Americans belong to many different groups with distinctive viewpoints. Can be very hard to determine. Public Opinion.

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Mass Media & Public Opinion

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  1. Mass Media & Public Opinion Chapter 8-9

  2. Public Opinion • Public opinion • Attitudes held by a significant number of people concerning political issues. • Americans belong to many different groups with distinctive viewpoints. • Can be very hard to determine

  3. Public Opinion • Political Socialization • The process by which each person acquires political opinions

  4. Factors that determine our opinions • Family • Parents’ opinions absorbed • Largest influence on our opinion • Young voters: more likely to be independent

  5. Factors that determine our opinions • Religion • Protestants tend to be more conservative (individual morality) • Catholics & Jews, historically, have been more liberal (social justice) • Others: Not as historically predictable • Non-religious: usually more liberal

  6. Factors that determine our opinions • Education • Learn about citizenship, national pride, great Americans • Take Government! • College has liberalizing effect

  7. Factors that determine our opinions • Occupation • Social class, tax burden • Gender • Gender Gap: Men tend to be more conservative; Women more liberal • Social programs? Income?

  8. Factors that determine our opinions • Peer Groups • Classmates, co-workers compare opinions • Historic Events • Civil War, Great Depression, Vietnam, 9-11 • Current Recession

  9. Factors that determine our opinions • Mass Media • TV, radio, newspapers, internet • TVs in 98% of American homes • 1st Amendment guarantees rights of press to express opinions and expose scandals. • Lots of options for information, Varying quality

  10. Mass Media • How much does media shape opinions? • Does it have an agenda? • It should not tell us what to think. • It should tell us what to think about. • Bias • undertones of opinions • Propaganda • Technique of persuasion aimed at creating a belief, regardless of its validity

  11. Measuring Public Opinion • Elections • Best way to gauge public opinion • Almost all citizens are eligible to voice their opinion • How can we predict election results?

  12. Measuring Public Opinion • Polls: 2 Types 1. Straw Polls • Ask one question to a large group and waits for responses • Radio hosts, websites • Not scientific • You cannot draw conclusions based on these results

  13. Measuring Public Opinion 2. Scientific Polls • Ask a sample of the voters how they would vote • Must represent the voters • Proportions from each race, class, and region • Always has a margin for error (±3%) • Gallup Organization, etc.

  14. Art of Polling • Random Sample of the population • Questions must be understandable • Questions must be asked fairly • Not leading the responder to one answer • Answer categories should be carefully considered • Approve, disapprove • Excellent, pretty good, fair, poor

  15. Evaluating Polls • When results are in… • Do polls report opinions or shape opinions? • Or both? • “Bandwagon effect” • Polls are not elections!

  16. Evaluating Polls • Assignment • Write THREE clear poll questions on the political topics of your choice • Include answer choices for each (yes, no; etc.) • Write TWO poll questions that contain bias or otherwise could NOT be used to draw conclusions • Finally, explain why each could not be used.

  17. Chapter 9 – Interest Groups • Interest Groups – Private organizations whose members share common views and work to shape public policy. • Grassroots – political movements supported average voters • Nearly all Interest Groups use Lobbyists in D.C. • Supply information to elected officials • Testify before congressional committees as experts • Make campaign contributions

  18. Interest Groups • Interest groups DO NOT: • Nominate candidates • Try to win elections • They are NOT political parties • Examples of Interest Groups • MADD, NRA, PETA, AARP • Exxon, Boeing, National Association of Realtors, Verizon • Smaller institutions like colleges, hospitals, etc.

  19. Interest Groups • Criticisms of Interest Groups • Don’t always represent the interests of those they claim to speak for. • How much of the actual population do they represent? • In very rare cases, use tactics like bribery & threats

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