The document discusses different media models and how the media shapes public opinion. It presents two media models - old media which includes newspapers, network TV, radio and magazines that had gatekeepers and aimed to be objective and factual, and new media which includes the internet, cable, blogs and direct mail that is non-hierarchical, slanted and opinion-based. It then questions how much power the media has to shape public opinion and lists some factors that limit media influence, such as political socialization, selectivity, needs, and recall and comprehension.

1. The Media GoPo

3. Listen

7. We will Tell You What to Think!

9. Media Models Old Media Newspapers Network TV Radio Magazines Gatekeepers (experts) Objective Factual

10. Media Models New Media Internet Cable Direct mail Blogs Non-hierarchical Slanted Opinion

12. What Sells?

13. Front Page Death Ratios How many deaths does it take to make the front page (lead story) of the news. Surf around to some of the major news outlets from the past few weeks and see if you can find the ratio of deaths to fill in the chart below.For example, last week, the death of Anna Nicole Smith made front page news (for a few days meanwhile, it took a bomb killing 120 Iraqis to make the front page (and only for one day). What is a death worth in the news? Deaths _____Celebrity = _____White Americans * = _____Minority Americans * = _____Europeans = _____Latin Americans= _____Asians = _____Haitians= _____Africans = _____Iraqis =

14. How much power does the media have to shape public opinion? Certain factors limit the media influence on public opinion 1-political socialization. We view the news we get through filters through which we interpret the news and the world. We view news through our political attitudes which we developed through political socialization. Through what lenses do you view the news? 2-Selectivity. People use selective exposure to screen out messages that don’t conform to their biases. People use Selective perception to perceive what they want to in the media messages and disregard the rest. Do you do that? 3-Needs. People watch the media for different reasons. Sometimes to be informed, other times to just be entertained. 4-Recall and comprehension. If you can’t understand or remember it, it doesn’t influence you much. People tend to believe the parts of the media that conform to what they already believed. Are you any different from this?