Edward Bernays: (:33) Directed the CPI's Latin News Service, and Father of “Public Relations”

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Chapter 5: Public Opinion and the Media

“If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it?.... In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” - Edward Barneys, Propaganda (1928)

What is Public Opinion?

Public Opinion: Citizens’ views on politics and government action. - Some opinions are formed early and remain stable throughout a lifetime. - “Latent” opinions are more fluid and very with events.

Importance of public opinion: “When people want government to do more, spending increases more rapidly; when people want less from government, spending goes down.” Textbook p. 127

Is it true? “If people feel obligated to help others in need, they are more likely to support government programs that benefit the poor.”

Sources of Opinions

Political Socialization – process by which an individual’s political opinions are shaped by other people and surrounding culture. - Family and Communities - Events - Group Identity (gender, race, education level)

Woodrow Wilson 28th President

“Government does now whatever experience permits or the times demand.”

Sources of Opinions: Government Sponsored Propaganda

On April 6, 1917 U.S. enters unpopular WWI. Woodrow Wilson created with an EO the U.S. Committee on Public Information (CPI) (4/13/17-4/21/19) to influence U.S. public via newsprint, posters, radio, telegraph, and movies. George Creel: (1:53) reporter, head of CPI agency Edward Bernays: (:33) directed the CPI's Latin News Service, and father of “public relations”

Walter Lippmann: (start - 2:03 & 6:00 - 8:04) reporter, intellectual, advisor to President Woodrow Wilson

Sources of Opinions: Government Sponsored Propaganda

The WISDOM of the crowd (4:48) - Example of Intrade (7:48) OR Should the “responsible men” be FREE of the “bewildered herd”? (2:09) - “Listening” to people who did NOT vote… (:16)

Do our elected officials treat us like a wise crowd or a bewildered herd?! - Health Care choices? (11/14: Obamacare at 37% approval rating) - Executive Order on amnesty? (9/14: 62% oppose EO to grant amnesty)

Measuring Public Opinion

1935: George Gallup founded the American Institute of Public Opinion and is considered the founder of modern day public opinion polling. (Not paid for or sponsored by special interest groups or political parties.) 1952: National Election Studies surveys the American electorate every 2 years. Mass surveys: face-to-face or telephone interviews Problems in Measuring Public Opinion: A day in the Life of a Pollster (:24) It is difficult to generate a random sample. How a question is phrased may lead to a different answer.

Trust In Government Percentage saying they trust the federal government to do what is right “just about always” or “most of the time.”

Policy Mood Support For New Government Programs

Abraham Lincoln 16th President

“Public Sentiment is Everything.”

Characteristics of American Public Opinion Does Public Opinion Influence Government? Environmental Policy

20th century: cheap fossil fuels and economic boom 1970s: Environmental Laws, EPA was created by (R) President Nixon

Silent Springs & DDT (start-5:00)

1990s: Bush & Clinton - concern about global warming (8:08 TEXAS)

2009: What was Climategate? (start-4:45 TEXAS)

Public Opinion and the Media

“Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe.” – Thomas Jefferson

The News Media in the United States First Amendment

1735: Zenger publishes editorials critical of the British colonial ruling and was arrested. Jury threw out the charges of libel. “Freedom of the Press” in the Constitution? 1790: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” (First Amendment) 1798: President John Adams signs the ‘Alien and Sedition Acts’, intended to silence journalists critical of his administration. Backfires! Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

Media Sources

Print Media – Then and Now?

Broadcast Media: T.V. Then (3:11) and Now?

Radio News – Then (2:03) and Now? The Internet - New Media! Only 6% Rate News Media As Very Trustworthy Trust in Mass Media Returns to All-Time Low

How the News Media Cover Politics/Government

- Nightly News Anchors (ABC, CBS, NBC) - Sunday Morning Talk Shows (Meet the Press, Face the Nation, Fox News Sunday, This Week) - Cable News (FOX, CNN, MSNBC) - Newspapers (NY Times, Wash Post) - Syndicated Columnists (Krauthammer, Dowd, Will) - White House Pool (follow Press Secretary) - Reporters follow the Candidates during Campaign - Talk Radio (Limbaugh, Hannity, Ingraham) - Websites/Blogs (Drudge Report, Newsmax, Huffington Post)

- Presidential Debates: Crowley interjection (1:10) Crowley explains (:59)

Government uses Press Release, Press Conferences, Press Briefing (1:27) st Website. President Hoover: 1 to have a press secretary. FDR (2:32) Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

Using the Media to Affect Public Opinion

Edward Bernays believed that people were motivated by self preservation, aggression, security, and sex. He also believed that the media could be used to manipulate the masses.

1917: Wilson and the U.S. Committee on Public Information 1924: Pres. Coolidge image 1929: “Torches of Freedom” 1950s: Cold War and Guatemala (4:05-11:22) 1975: Congressional Hearing on Operation Mockingbird – CIA and the Media (3:13)

Winston Churchill

"A free press is the unsleeping guardian of every other right that free men prize; it is the most dangerous foe of tyranny ... Under dictatorship the press is bound to languish ... But where free institutions are indigenous to the soil and men have the habit of liberty, the press will continue to be the Fourth Estate, the vigilant guardian of the rights of the ordinary citizen.”

What Difference Does the Internet Make? Cool Story, Bro: Is Every Citizen a Reporter?

Citizen Journalism: Every Citizen can be a Journalist.

- Matt Drudge: His Story (start-8:19)

Drudge Report for impact on media (2:32) Drudge Report more than 3 million page visits a day! Is Superman the next Drudge? 2015: Drudge Report still dominant

- James O’Keefe: Acorn Sting (start-1:30) Washington Times Project Veritas

- Andrew Breitbart On Citizen Journalism (4:52) Breitbart.com The Movie: Hating Breitbart (2:02) - Rich Weinstein: He found the Gruber videos and no media outlet would call him back (2:13) Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

Hugo Black Supreme Ct. Justice (1936-1971)

“Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in the government.”

The Department of Justice imposes a Chilling Effect For Free Press (6:29) US seizure of journalist records called ‘chilling' Sources won’t talk

Feds Raid Home of Journalist (4:43)

Regulating the Media

The U.S. has laws against Libel, Slander, & Prior Restraint.

Regulating/Controlling radio and TV: Why is television and radio regulated? 1927: Equal time provision (equal time to candidates) 1934: Creation of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC)

1949 -1987: Fairness Doctrine, free speech, “chilling effect” (9:10)

2009: Mark Lloyd Chief Diversity Officer at the FCC. (2:22)

Regulating/Controlling the Internet: 2010: Net Neutrality passed (prevent internet providers from charging more for speedier service, allow the government to pass more regulations) (4:25) 2014: Net Neutrality ruled an overreach by the FCC. Right and Wrong

Hurts the Internet (1:18) Internet TAX! Don’t touch! (2:13) Netflix & YouTube… Deregulation Ownership: The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed

Media Effects on Citizens and Government

Media Effects: influence media has on people

2006: Problems with Old Media (start-3:00) Pew Research: Reporters asked about their Political Ideology responded…

Media Effects on Citizens and Government

Filtering - Not Covering the Story: U.S. Deaths in Afghanistan: Obama vs. Bush? Breitbart

Slant - Favorable coverage to one side: Ryan Chant (2:14) Priming - influence of positive or negative coverage Framing - influence of details & context offered in story Americans' Confidence in TV News at new low 09/10: Glenn Beck launched The Blaze website - 03/12: Glenn Beck Internet TV The Blaze 300,000 subscribers (CNBC 189,000 viewers) 09/12: The Blaze on Dish

01/13: Blaze goes big! (start-4:14)

Vladimir Lenin

“When one makes a Revolution, one cannot mark time; one must always go forward - or go back. He who now talks about the "freedom of the press" goes backward, and halts our headlong course towards Socialism.”

Reporters Without Borders