1. Public Opinion and the Mass Media

2. Public Opinion Are the attitudes held by a significant number of people on government and politics Sum of all opinions NOT mass opinion Truth is sometimes irrelevant, what matters is what people think is true

3. Factors that Shape Public Opinion Family Formal education Mass media Peer groups (work, community, friends) Opinion leaders (public office, media stars) Historic events ( 9/11, The Great Depression)

4. How is Public Opinion Measured? Polls: 1200 random sample Intensity and validity of sample always questioned Elections Interest groups The media

5. The Mass Media Functions: Entertainment and profit making Reporting the news Infotainment a driving force Socializing tool Providing a public forum

6. Types of Media Print: magazines and newspapers Declining in impact/ victim of creative destruction Electronic Radio Television Commercial tv & radio are regulated by government Cable: fragmentation of audience Lets you decide what you want to hear

7. Types of Media cont. 3. Internet Questionable validity and bias Do blogs contribute to the polarization or allowing for diversity of opinion?

8. Campaign Information Sources: Commercial television (60%) MSNBC CNN Yahoo Google News Fox

9. Old Types of Media In decline Newspapers have lost circulation and network news audiences declined Splintered audience Media outlets have become partisan and ideological, objectivity and neutrality less valued