Does the media (at large) reflect or dictate public opinion?

[Catwoman]

Some would argue the media is a powerful (and somewhat malevolent) force in determining public opinion, politically or sociologically. Others would argue that political discourse has to originate somewhere (i.e. the public), and newspaper sales are reflective of key issue relevance. Any thoughts?

[TheLorax]

Oh Jebus this looks like a grad school dissertation.

I think people read and hear what they want to and tend to gravitate towards the sources of information that reinforce their beliefs. There is a reason that Faux news did not show the famous pictures of the soldier’s caskets. Whether or not they wanted to follow along with the wishes of UU, they realized that their viewers would not approve.

[glatt]

You're in England, right? You may not know about this, but a couple summers ago there was a huge amount of coverage of shark attacks in the US. It was like there was an epidemic. But statistically, that summer was identical to every other summer that came before. There was no increase in shark attacks. They scared a lot of people and hurt a lot of tourist towns. So yeah, the media definately has power to move society in a particular direction.

[Catwoman]

Yes, of course the media is a great facilitator for scaremongering/hype etc, but does this constitute opinion ?

[Happy Monkey]

A lot of people still believe that Gore claimed that he invented the internet.

[glatt]

I think he actually was quoted as saying that. Of course, he misspoke. He knows he didn't invent it and corrected himself later.

He coined the stupid phrase "information superhighway" I beleive. And was a very geeky technical oriented guy compared to the overwhelming majority of politicians at the time.

[glatt]

Originally posted by Catwoman
Yes, of course the media is a great facilitator for scaremongering/hype etc, but does this constitute opinion ?

Sure it's opinion. "Sharks are a threat to you. You should fear sharks more than yo have been." It's not political opinion, but it's opinion.

[smoothmoniker]

Originally posted by Happy Monkey
A lot of people still believe that Gore claimed that he invented the internet.

He DID! I saw it all happen, right there on SNL, MAD TV, Letterman, Conan,


wait .... oh wait .... hold on .....


-sm

[jaguar]

Gore did (and as much has been said, repeatedly by those involved in it's early days) have a signifigant role in pushing it around washington.

[DanaC]

My mum works with the Refugee Council in the UK and one of the things they have to do almost constantly is try to balance out the llies that are printed about Asylum seekers in the media. The attitudes of the British Public to Asylum seekers was shown in a very interesting poll.....There were a great deal of commonly held misconceptions which had come ( or so it certainly seemed) mainly from the tabloid press.

If you spend anytime amongst the asyylum seeker and refugee communities in the UK I doubt you would have much doubt that the tabloid media can have a damaging effect. I have watched very closely the sea change which the council is attempting to effect and its a slow process. I have seen some feel good stories on local news and in newspapers which I know are trhe Council's doing in an attempt to stem the tide of anti asylum seeker sentiment.

In the UK the media have sold so many fearbased stories of brtian being "swamped" by bogus asylum seekers that the general temperature of the country is so against them that the very words "asylum seeker" carry with them them a massive stigma. There is little kindness shown to people who have struggled across half the world to get to a place of safety, and the word "Bogus" slips to the front of most people's minds when they hear "asylum seeker" because there has been a diet of such caveats for 20 years in the national media.

Interestingly in the Poll, it was discovered that the people displaying the most ignorance and hostility on this issue were the young. People under 20 did not come out looking good. I wonder if this is because they have had an anti asylum agenda in the main news media throughout the entirety of their lives?


Poll gauging public attitudes to asylum seekers

[jaguar]

I feel one of the biggest threats to Democracy in the western world is media consolidation. One only need look at Britain to see what I mean, the land where papers open barrak for candidates in elections. It gives those that control the media incredible clout.

[Kitsune]

I think he actually was quoted as saying that.

"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system."

Close, but not quite.

Do I think media reflects public opinion? You bet! Remember the thousands of US supporters that showed up when they pulled the statue of Saddam down?


Whew! Look at 'em all!

See, the media's photoshopping of the photograph to add in more people than there actually were shows they reflect US public opinion of US support, or at least try to feed it.

[Undertoad]

That image that only shows a moment in time, so it's proof of nothing... and you swallowed it.

[jaguar]

that's a double edged sword UT.

[Kitsune]

Hey, all I'm saying is that it looks nothing like the ground photos that were published. And others have also noticed and noted photographic evidence.