Mass Media & Public Opinion

DO NOW:

THINK OF AN EXAMPLE OF AN OPINION POLL THAT YOU HAVE SEEN RECENTLY.

Mass Media & Public Opinion

“The hand that rules the press, the radio, the screen, and the far-spread magazine rules the country.” - Judge Learned Hand (1942)

Formation of Public Opinion

Means most or nearly all Americans believe something or hold the same view on an issue.

To be a public opinion, must involve something of general concern and of interest to a significant portion of the people.

Sports teams, favorite foods, and popular movies are not public opinion in the proper sense.

Different Publics

Public groups can change depending on the issue.

Each group with a different point of view is a separate public.

Public opinion is the sum of all views.

Influences on public opinion

Family: acquire a slant which forms the foundation of one’s opinions on public affairs.

School: training to be a good citizen; how decisions are made; compromise

Mass Media: 98% of American households have at least one television

Peer Groups: usually reinforce what you already believe

Socio-Economic Factors: race, occupation, levels of education and income

How is Public Opinion Measured?

1. Elections• Indicate approval or rejection of political

performance• Seldom an accurate measure

2. Interest Groups• Represent real people to the elected

representatives

3. Media• Described as mirrors and molders• Not very accurate – described vocal minority

Opinion Polls

Straw Poll: read the public’s mind by asking the same question/questions to many people ie: Mike Francessa Highly unreliable Relies on false information that asking

many people will provide accurate information.

Opinion Polls

Scientific Polls: more formal1. Define the universe: the whole population that

the poll aims to measure

2. Construct the sample: • Random sample: participants chosen at random• Major national polls interview over 1500 people• Quota Sample: deliberately chosen to reflect

characteristics of whole universe• Margin of Error: degree to which result may

vary • + - 3%

Opinion Polls

3. Prepare the questions• Wording can reflect reliability• Avoid emotionally charged words

4. Interviewing• Today done mostly by telephone• Random digit dialing• Use only one technique to gather data

5. Analyze and report findings• Must analyze and report results to be of any real

value• Use technology to tabulate and interpret data