Final Exam -polisci 101 - higahsi -Public opinion and media

Terms in this set (34)

Citizens' opinions about politics and government actions

Three criticism of early studies

1.Isn't surprising that many people don't think much about politics
2. Opinions have been more consistent since the original studies in the 1950s
3. Most importantly, original studies were looking for the wrong thing.

Political socializations

Political opinions are shaped by one's parents, family, community, and culture

where most information about public opinion comes from

Predicted difference between the average opinion of the sample and the average opinion of the population

Does Public Opinion Matter?

Lot of studying in it some, say political process often ignores broad swaths of people, but public opinion often influences government action

Sources that provide information to average citizens on a day-to-day basis

Mainstream Media

Media sources that predate the internet, such as newspapers, magazines, and broadcast news

time between the release of information and its publication

Made newspapers available to more of the population

Organization that gathers news and sells it to other media outlets

Yellow journalism

style of newspaper featuring sensationalized stories, bold headlines, and illustrations

Dual roles of Media

Serve as a watchdog but, sometimes business conflicts

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

created in 1934 and responsible for regulating media

Broadcast media

communications technologies, such as TV and radio, that transmit information over the airwaves

equal time provision

created by FCC, tells media companies to treat legally qualified political candidates equally when it comes to selling or giving away air time

Media Conglomerates

Companies that control a wide range of news sources

Cross-ownership

One company owning several types of media outlet, often in same community

by-product theory

The idea that many Americans acquire political information unintentionally rather than by seeking it out.

reporter can use info you give them, but cannot name or quote you directly

not made as an official statement

giving out info
often a way for politicians to influence the narrative of a story or get favorable coverage

Two Source Rule

Mainstream news outlets typically require that two sources confirm or verify information before a fact is considered credible enough for reporting

Anonymous sources

doesn't mean it isn't credible. The reporters know who the sources are.

Shield laws and reporters

They don't have shield laws and can be compelled by a court to reveal their sources of leaked information

Influence of coverage on average citizens' opinions and actions

Hostile Media effect

Neutral coverage is often viewed as biased against one's own point of view

Imbalance in a story that covers one candidate or policy favorably without providingFilter similar coverage to other side

Editor's and journalist's decision to cover something

The way a story is described or presented can change our impression of the issue

Attack Journalism

Focusing on scandals and controversies

Horse race coverage

election coverage focusing on poll results instead of policy differences

sensational or entertaining stories

policy-related information is uncommon

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