Public Opinion and Mass Media (C10)

An issue gaining in importance as a result of television news coverage is an example of what influence on public opinion?

• lobbyist

• income

• mass media

• interest groups

Match the following

• watchdog

• To release secret government information by anonymous government officials to the media.

• lobbyist

• Representative from an interest group who contacts lawmakers or the government officials directly to influence their policy making.

• public agenda

• The role played by a media organization that exposes illegal practices or waste.

• leak

• Issues that are considered most significant by government officials

• pollster

• A specialist whose job is to conduct polls regularly.

Why are public officials most likely to be influenced by public opinion high in intensity?

• The opinion is strongly held

• More people share the opinion

• The opinion is negative

Which is true of a good random sample for a public opinion poll?

• It represents the variety of the whole population.

• All the people in the poll are opinionated.

• It is limited to people who follow the news.

Which of the following is not a benefit for the candidate in the candidate - media relationship?

• Increased popularity 

• Intrusive

• Get message to the people

Which of the following is a reason that public opinion polls are not completely reliable as a measure of public opinion?

• People often give social desirable responses.

• Reasons for supporting a candidate are not always clear

• Winners and losers are not clearly identified

Which of these is a role of public opinion in a democracy?

• To guide the actions of public officials (such as the President)

• To determine election results

• To shape the views of media members

Match the following

• Nonpartisan

• Evil intent

• Shield Laws

• A law that protects a reporter from revealing his or her sources.

• Prior Restraint

• The  act of stopping information from being known by blocking it from being published.

• Public Opinion Poll

• A survey in which individuals are asked to answer questions about a particular issue or person. 

• Malice

• Free from party ties or bias.

Hazelwood versus Kuhlmeier dealt with which issue of the press?

• Censorship

• Assembly

• Abuse of power

• slander

Reorder the following in the order in which they happen in regard to how the media can change the public's perception of issues.

• Framing 

• Agenda Setting

• Priming

• Cultivation