Transcript Unit 5 Part III

Unit 5 Part III
Interest Groups and Mass Media
What is public opinion?

The ideas and attitudes that people
hold about an issue or person
What influences Public
Opinion?
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Personal Background – age, gender,
income, race, religion, and where you
live
Mass Media – TV, internet, books,
newspapers, radio, movies
Public Officials – political leaders and
government officials
Interest Groups – work to persuade
people to their point of view
How is public opinion
measured?


Election results
Public Opinion Poll – survey of
individuals beliefs about
particular issue or person
What do we mean by the
term Mass Media
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Methods of mass communication
What are forms of mass
media?

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Print media – books, magazines,
newspapers
Electronic media – TV, radio,
internet
What determines what news
items are shown by the
mass media?

What will attract the most
viewers in order to make a profit
What is the public
agenda?

The issues and problems that
receive the most money, time and
effort from the government
How does mass media
affect the public agenda?

Have effect on what the public
thinks is important
What other roles does
mass media serve?
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Candidates for office
– Give candidates exposure to run for office
– Give candidates idea of what the public is
concerned about
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Test public reaction: Politicians sometimes
leak (secretly pass on info) to gage how
the public will react
Watchdog Role – expose government
waste and corruption
What protects the media
from censorship?
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Amendment I – protects the press
from prior restraint – censorship
of material before it is published
What limits are there on
the freedom of the press?
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Libel – cannot print false info that
will harm someone
Slander – cannot speak untruths
that harm someone
FCC – regulate broadcasting and
can punish stations that break
rules
What are interest groups?

A group of people who who share
a point of view about an issue and
unite to promote their beliefs
Why do people join
interest groups?

People believe that by joining
together they can increase their
influence
What protects the right of
people to join interest
groups?
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The First Amendments freedom of
assembly
Private Interest Groups
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Economic Interest Groups:
Focus on economic issues
US Chamber of Commerce –
promotes free enterprise
AFL-CIO – alliance of labor unions
that fight for workers rights
AMA – American Medical
Association: represents doctors
Special Interest Groups

Promote a ethnic group, age,
gender, religion or other special
issue
NAACP

National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
NOW

National Organization of Women
AARP

American Association of Retired
People
NRA

National Rifle Association
Public Interest Groups
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Support causes that affect the
lives of Americans in general
League of Women Voters
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Educates voters about candidates
and issues
MADD

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers
In what ways do interest
groups try and influence the
government?
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By forming PAC’s – political action
committees to raise money for
candidates
Going to court – taking cases to
court to bring attention to them
By hiring lobbyists – specialists who
try to influence lawmakers
What protects the rights of
interest groups to try and
influence government
decisions?

The first amendments freedom to
petition