Chapter 8 Vocab: Mass Media

Short, sharply focused reports that can be aired in 30-45 seconds. 

• Sound bite
• Twitter
• Public Opinion

Private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy.

• Opinion Leader
• Public Agenda
• Interest Group

 events and issues that concern the people at large (most people), e.g., politics, public issues, and the making of public policies.

• Public Opinion
• Public Affairs

instructions or commands a constituency gives to its elected officials.

• Womandate
• Mandate
• Directive

A representative slice of the public.

• Census
• Sample
• Proportionate

Devices that attempt to collect information by asking people questions.

• Ballot
• Public Opinion Poll

Polls that seek to read the public’s mind simply by asking the same question to a large number of people.

• Omniscient vote 
• Straw vote
• Quota sample

People you meet with daily, including friends, classmates, neighbors, and coworkers.

• Framily
• Peer group 
• Medium

Those means of communication that reach large audiences, especially television, radio, printed publications, and the Internet.

• Mass media
• Public Access Channels
• Public Affairs

A certain number of randomly selected people who live in a certain number of randomly selected places.

• Quota sample
• Random sample