Download COM 413. Public Opinion, Propaganda and Mass Media

COM 413. Public Opinion,
Propaganda and Mass Media
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University catalog course description:
Techniques of sociological and political
persuasion, mass media and public opinion in the
United States; developments in international
propaganda. Integrates disciplines of sociology
and political science in application to operation of
communication and communications media in
society.
Course Objectives
1. Identify, describe, and explain major concepts
in the studies of public opinion, propaganda,
persuasion, and mass media.
2. Recognize, understand and analyze the
processes underlying public opinion and
propaganda, exemplifying these with reference
to significant historical and current events.
Course Objectives
3. Identify, understand, apply and critique a
variety of qualitative and quantitative
techniques for measuring public opinion.
4. Understand interdisciplinary character of the
course subject.
5. Outline contributions to our understanding of
propaganda and public opinion of research
from the fields of communication, mass
media, social psychology, political science,
and sociology.
Course Objectives
6. Understand, exemplify and critique the
interrelationships between propaganda,
public opinion, media institutions, the
market, political influence and power.
7. Understand and discuss ethical conventions
that proscribe the misuses of propaganda and
manipulation of public opinion.
Structure of the Course
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The first part of the course focuses on public
opinion, its formation and impact on public
policy
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In the second part we turn to propaganda
attempts at modifying/changing public opinion.
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The last part will be spent mostly on analysis of
propaganda and the role of the media.
Required Text:
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Jowett, Garth S. and O’Donell, Victoria
Propaganda and Persuasion. 5th Ed
Reading
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All reading assignments must be completed before
class meeting…
It is important that students keep up with required
reading (according to course schedule), even
when the reading may not be specifically covered
in corresponding class.
You are recommended to read ahead
Midterm and Final
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Multiple choice / true-false questions
and / or
short-answer questions
A review for the examinations will be given in
class and placed on the web
“Thought letter”
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Two “thought letters” in which you will explore
your responses to questions or problems covered
in your texts and lectures.
The topics will be assigned during
lectures/discussions in response to interesting
questions, problems, and students’ suggestions.
Propaganda Example
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An example of current propaganda and your
analysis of the example.
Final Group Project
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Final Group Project is a written report and
class presentation in which you will need to
analyze in depth a specific instance of media
propaganda in relation to persuasion and the
formation or manipulation of public opinion.
Why Public Opinion?
Inputs→Government→Public Policy
Inputs: Public Opinion
Political culture/Political attitudes
in aggregate
through political parties and interest groups
Why propaganda?
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The main goal of propaganda is to aid
policy, to make the cost of policy less.
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Goebbels: We do not talk to say
something, but to obtain a certain effect.
Democracy, Public Opinion, and
Government Policy: the benefits
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Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832): The greatest
difficulty of the legislator is being “in conciliating
the public opinion or correcting it when
erroneous…”
But, even if “conciliating” is difficult, public
opinion is a useful check on the authority of rulers.
Bentham demanded that all official acts be
publicized, so that an enlightened public opinion
could pass judgment on them
Democracy, Public Opinion, and
Government Policy: the perils
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Tocqueville was concerned that a government of
the masses would become a “tyranny of the
majority.”
But, whether public opinion is regarded as a
constructive or a baneful force in a democracy,
there are few politicians who are prepared to
suggest in public that government should ignore it.
Three Possible Relationships
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Public opinion is merely a constraint on public policy;
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Public opinion exerts strong pressure to direct or
redirect government policy;
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public opinion is ignored by government.
Sometimes public opinion is a driving force of change.
But there are also cases when government has clearly
not done what the public wanted as expressed in public
opinion surveys
Salience
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An issue that is salient (widely publicized, known
about, important) is more likely to stimulate
public opinion, and that opinion is more likely to
be influential.
Examples:
Economic crisis 2008 / Iraq / Vietnam: as these
issues grew more salient, the stronger and more
influential was public opinion.
Constitutional Rights
An issue that is seen to clash with fundamental
constitutional rights is likely to stimulate
influential public opinion.
Why Do We Expect Public Opinion to
be Influential?
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Publicly elected officials have strong motivation
to anticipate public opinion.
People tend to vote for politicians that seem to
be like them, and therefore people and
politicians would tend to share opinions.
Politicians would feel morally obliged to respect
the public’s wishes.
Processes of democratic pluralism would lead us
to expect a linkage, over time, between the
interests of groups and government policy.
Research
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Monroe (1979) found that 64% of the time, government
policies have been consonant with majority public
opinion;
Page and Shapiro (1983) found congruence 66% of the
time.
Miller and Stokes (1963) found modest co-relations
between public opinion in given congressional districts and
roll call voting by district representatives in Congress,
especially on salient issues.
Erikson (1976) showed (moderate correlation) opinionpolicy linkages in the case of particular issues at state
levels.
Which comes first:
public opinion or policy?
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Political parties tend to enact policies adopted by their
party platforms in campaigns and are consistent with
majority opinion. This occurs 64-74% of the time.
Politicians who monitor public opinion with a view to
manipulating it, sometimes end up adopting policies in line
with public opinion (a “recoil effect”)
Other studies find a reciprocal relationship between public
opinion and policy-making, with governments leading as
well as responding to public opinion.
Is Responsiveness to Public
Opinion a Good Thing?
Non-responsiveness to public opinion need not
be undemocratic where, for example, the
government is looking to the best longer-term
solution, or where it considers that the public
needs more time to assess the situation.
Political / propaganda campaigns
A planned, coordinated, sustained, multi-faceted
series of messages designed to achieve a
pragmatic goal by influencing target audiences.