Ch. 9: Public Opinion and Persuasion
Public Opinion: Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, “opinions on controversial issues that one can express in public without isolating oneself” (implies conformity)
- Also: “a collection of views held by persons interested in the subject”
- Self-interest is a huge factor, form with respect to goals, not how to achieve goals
Opinion Leaders: (1) highly interested in subject/issue (2) better informed on that issue than average person (3) avid consumers of mass media (4) early adopters (5) good organizers, get others to take action
- Primary catalyst in public discussion
- Formal Opinion Leaders: elected officials, heads of groups
- Informal Opinion Leaders: clout in peer group
- Katz and Lazarsfeld: two-step flow theory > multi-step flow theory > n-step theory
Mass Media
- 50% of information comes from a PR source, 55% in Australia
- Agenda Setting Theory: McCombs and Shaw, media content sets the agenda for public discussion
- Limited Effects Model: Klapper, “mass media . . . functions among and through a nexus of mediating factors and influence”
- Media Dependency Theory: media can have moderate-powerful effect on formation of opinions when people have no prior knowledge, especially in a crisis situation
- Framing Theory: journalistic framing (fact selection) impacts public understanding, and consequently policy formation; media and audience framing
- Conflict Theory: conflict in the public arena can help with reaching a consensus; controversy helps to shape public opinion
KellMo Comm 