2301+Spring+2009+Week+Thirteen


 * Public Opinion, the Media and the Freedoms of Speech and the Press**

If American government is indeed based on the people, then the study of public opinion is crucial. Public opinion reflects the will of the sovereign. It determines what in fact government should do. But as we know, the American constitution was written by people who were suspicious of democracy because it unleashed the power of "the mob." Raw public opinion was often considered to be superficial, capricious, passionate, and vulnerable to [|demagogue]s. It was something to be feared. Governments based on popular sovereignty are not always supportive of individual liberties.

The press is also central to governmental systems based on popular sovreignty, and are also sometimes viewed with suspicion. Opinions cannot be properly and intelligently formed unless backed with solid information about public affairs, but press sources have different motivations that do not always include providing unbiased information that serves the public good. News sources are businesses to a large degree and must primarily focus on their bottom line. Nevertheless, a functioning, vibrant, and diverse press is one of the strongest indicators of democracy. You can't have the latter without the former.

These two phenomenon are interconnected of course. Public opinion is often shaped by the information obtained by the media sources, often the very nature of the media itself impacts how people interpret media messages. They are also both protected by the First Amendment. The very idea that public opinion can form in a substantive manner is a product of the ability of people to think for themselves, and to talk about it with others. Press freedoms ensure that these thoughts can then be sent out to a larger audience and may even have an impact on public policy. Early 20th Century Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendel Holmes suggested that exchanges in the marketplace of ideas was the best test of the validity of thoughts. With that in mind, many Supreme Court cases have wrestled with the idea that the greater interest of society sometime demands that certain types of speech and some press activities not be protected.


 * Sources:**

- Wikipedia: [|The Marketplace of Ideas]. - Answers.com: [|Freedom of Speech]. - Wikipedia: [|Freedom of Speech in America]. - Wikipedia: [|Freedom of Thought.] - Answers.com: [|Seditious Libel]. - [|Click here for general information about public opinion polling]. - Pew Research Center: [|Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes 1987 - 2007]. - New York Times: [|Poll Watch]. - Gallup Poll: [|Election 2008 Page]. - Wikipedia: [|Freedom of the Press in the United States]. - [|newspaperdeathwatch.com]

My Blog Posts: - [|Polls]. - [|The Media].


 * Assignments**

Please note: I want both my internet and lecture students to do the written work this week. Write at least 150 words for each.

1. Critically evaluate the concept of the "marketplace of ideas" and the role it is argued to play in establishing public policy. Should certain ideas be off the table? If so, how do we determine what they are? 2. Read and critically evaluate the Pew Report on the political values and core attitudes of Americans. 3. Perhaps the most significant recent development in the media has been the slow death of newspapers. Look through the site above, and any other sources you deem useful, and chronicla and comment on this development. Is it good or bad for democracy?


 * Outline**

Public Opinion in a Democracy


 * Reviewing the First Amendment

Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press - Conscience - Sedition - Political Speech - The Marketplace of Ideas - Is Democracy possible without free expression and a free press?

Court Cases

What is Public Opinion? - What Role does it play in a Democracy

Sources of Public Opinion - Basic American Beliefs - Basic American Disputes - Agents of Political Socialization - Political Ideology

Turning Information into Opinions

Measuring Opinions - Understanding Public Opinion Polling

Public Ignorance

Public Opinion In Texas

Public Opinion in The Greater Houston Area

What is the Press?

Technology - Newspapers - Radio - Television - The Internet

Who Controls Press Content? - Journalists - Politicians - Consumers

What Impact does the Press Have? - Agenda Setting - Framing - Priming

Dominant Press Outlets - National - State - Local ** 