Journalism 614: Setting the Stage

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Journalism 614Setting the Stage
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Krugmans 1965 Thesis

• Advertising does not change attitudes it changes
  perceptions of what should matter when buying.
• Speaking against the limited effects paradigm in
  mass communication, which focused on news and
  electoral campaigns changing political attitudes
• His speculation has been borne out, and found to
  help explain behavior of consumers and citizens
• Has quietly become the most cited article in
  Public Opinion Quarterly, a leading journal

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Consumers and Citizens

• Effects of advertising on consumer behavior well
  documented at the same time that news effects on
  public opinion was questioned.
• He called into question the assumptions of the
  dominant paradigm - Model of influence is wrong
• Evidence of low involvement effects
• Little defensive reaction in low involvement
  conditions - nature of effect on opinion is
  fundamentally different that expected

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Example of Nazi Germany

• Propaganda Model - Hitlers propaganda machine
  did not increase anti-Semitic attitudes but
  brought already existing anti-Semitic attitudes
  into more prominent use for defining the everyday
  world
• Shifted the frame of reference
• Change in low involvement perceptions
• Conventional model focus to much on attitudes
• For many, politics is low involvement too!

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Conceptualizing Public Opinion

• Ways of thinking about public opinion
• Public opinion as the expression of views
• Central to decision making in democracy
• Public opinion as rationality
• Public opinion as a tool of social integration
• Central to social harmony in communities
• But also a tool for social control

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Public Opinion and Democracy

• U.S. system of government based on representative
  democracy
• How do elected leaders connect with people?
• Beyond elections every 2, 4 or 6 years
• Must learn what the people they represent want?

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Connections Between Politicians and the Public
Political Leaders
Contact mechanisms -press conferences -press
releases -websites -speeches
Perceptual mechanisms -personal contact -reading
mail/email -public opinion polls -perceptions of
opinion
Contact Mechanisms -letters/email -personal
contact -feedback to mass media -opinion polls
Perceptual mechanisms -media coverage -personal
contact -environ. surveillance
Public
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Relationship to governance

• Public opinion is one key to legitimacy
• Legitimacy to be in power
• Legitimacy to make policy/decisions
• Sources of power behind policy
• Coercion (force over public)
• Consent (public support)
• Consent
• Key in democratic societies
• Public opinion is essential element of consent

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Power of Public Opinion

• P.O. may be more powerful than voting
• Benjamin Ginsbergs argument
• Voting is formalized, channeled behavior
• Ordered and not threatening to the political
  order
• Reaffirms the status quo
• Expression of opinion is high-risk
• Tiananmen Square Standing up to government
• Environmental Activism Standing up to
  corporations
• More of a threat toward institutions than voting

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Need systems to monitor opinion

• Politicians may over-estimate its importance
• Decision-making out of fear
• Consequences of ignoring public opinion unclear
• E.g., Vietnam War
• Initial fear of coming out against the war
• Critics become vocal as they sense shift in
  opinion

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P.O. Participatory Democracy

• Normative orientation Ideal system
• what should be
• Enlightened participation
• Marketplace of ideas
• Finding the truth through public discourse
• Town meetings
• soliciting input of citizen opinions
• Should democracies seek to maximize
• Citizen participation?
• Input into decision-making?
• Direct democracy?

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What if Public is Ignorant?

• Surveys demonstrate public ignorance
• In 1986, a majority of Americans didnt know the
  name of the Soviet leader (Mikhail Gorbachev)
• 1992 UMass Report
• 86 could name Bush family dog (Millie)
• 89 know Murphy Brown was character criticized by
  Dan Quayle
• 15 knew Bush and Clinton support death penalty
• 5 knew both support cuts in capital gains tax
• More people could identify Judge who ran the
  Peoples Court on TV than name a single Supreme
  Court Justice

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More Evidence

• 22 of Americans believe Saddam Hussein helped
  plan and support the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
• 24 believe several of the hijackers were Iraqis
• 41 say Saddam had strong links to al Qaida.
• -Harris Poll
• PIPA (Program on International Policy Attitudes)
  study finds FOX News viewers were the most
  misinformed about facts.
• CPI (Center for Public Integrity) study finds 935
  Falsehoods in Pre-War Claims by Members of Bush
  Administration

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Are the Mass Media to Blame?

• Surveys show
• Public knowledge constant for 50 years
• Media have expanded tremendously
• More television networks, more news programs,
  etc.
• Paradox
• More media, yet no more knowledge
• More distortion and manipulation?

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Direct or Representative Democracy?

• Philosophical origins
• Representative democracy Plato
• Direct democracy Aristotle
• Walter Lippman vs. John Dewey
• Lippman Ordinary citizens incapable of rational
  decision-making
• Dewey Importance of creating opportunities for
  citizens to participate
• Schools should build democratic skills

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Representative Democracy

• Do we insulate decision-makers?
• Problem of direct democracy
• E.g, would people support necessary taxation?
• E.g., voting on school bond issues
• Who should determine what is best for society?
• Representative democracy
• Elect leaders we trust to make decisions

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Tyranny of the Majority

• James Madison concern
• Tyranny of the majority
• A rationale for representative democracy
• Concern for the suppression of minority views
• Representative democracy as insulation
• Enlightened leaders as an alternative to direct
  democracys dictatorship by the majority
• Avoids problem of winner take all politics
• Encourages negotiated policy/compromise

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Can Leaders Become Too Concerned?

• Restoring the tyranny of the majority
• Governing by public opinion polls
• Do politicians or corporations
• Choose issues according to polls?
• Alter positions according to polls?
• Silence themselves if views are unpopular?
• The never-ending campaign
• Leading with an eye on approval ratings
• Would politicians wag the dog to engage in
  conflicts to benefit from the rally-round-the-fla
  g effect?

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Factors Elevating Public Opinion

• 1. Expansion of mass media
• Greater interaction between politicians and
  public
• 2. Growth of public opinion measurement
• Greater visibility of public opinion
• 3. Decline of Party Identification
• Less predictable voting patters
• 4. Rise of independent voters
• Larger proportion of swing voters
• 5. Decline of voter turnout
• Mobilizing voters more difficult

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Power of Ignorant Opinion?

• If public opinion has become more important
• If the population lacks important knowledge
• Does the influence of public opinion lead to
  poor decision-making?
• What can be done?
• Deliberative polls?

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Fishkins Deliberative Public Opinion Poll

• Randomly sampled citizens brought in
• Read information and listen to experts
• Meet in groups for discussion
• Survey questions measure their responses
• Poll data then represents
• Opinions of informed citizens
• Overcomes problem of ignorant public
• Opinions take into account opinions of others
• Deliberative forum televised to expand exposure

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Problems with Deliberative Polls

• Motivating people to participate
• National Issues Convention (1996) had low rates
• What information to provide them with?
• What experts will speak to them?
• Language barriers in light of diversity
• Group think norms and conformity pressure
• Did participation make a difference?
• People are hesitant to change opinions

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Collective Decisions

• Just because individuals seem ill-prepared to
  make policy decisions
• Doesnt mean collective decisions arent wise
• They may also be able to select politicians who
  make informed decisions

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The Normative Context

• Sets the stage for normative context of class
• Artificial distinction between consumers and
  citizens - they are the same people!
• The importance of understanding opinion as
  expression and a social force
• The balance between representative and direct
  democracy in relation to government and policy