Chapter 11&15 Flashcards
Public opinion
What the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time
Public opinion polls
Interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population
Straw Poll
Unscientific survey used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues an policies
Sample
A subset of the whole population selected to be questioned for the purposes of prediction or gauging opinion
Exit polls
Polls conducted as voters leave selected polling places on Election Day
Tracking polls
Continuous surveys that enable a campaign of news organization to chart a candidates daily rise or fall in support
Push polls
Polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate
Random sampling
A method of poll selection that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected
Stratified sampling
A variation of random sampling l; the population is divided into subgroups and weighted based on demographic characteristics of the national population
Margin of error
A measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll
Political socialization
The process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values
Mass media
The entire array of organizations through which information is collected and disseminated to the general public
News media
Media providing the public with new information about subjects of public interest
Muckracking
A form of journalism, in vogue in the early twentieth century, devoted to exposing misconduct by government, business, and individual politicians.
Yellow journalism
A form of newspaper publishing in vogue in the late twentieth century that featured pictures, comics, color and sensationalized news coverage.
Narrowcasting
Targeting media programming at specific populations within society
Citizen journalists
Ordinary individuals who collect, report, and analyze news content.
On the record
Information provided to a journalist that can be released and attributed by name to the source
Off the record
Information provided to a journalist that will not be released to the public
On background
Information provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to a named source
Deep Background
Information provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to any source
Content regulations
Limitations on the substance of the mass media
Equal time rule
The rule that requires broadcast stations to sell air time equally to all candidates in a political campaign if they choose to sell it to any
Press release
A document offering an official comment or position
