INTERNETInfluences on Public Opinions

Public Opinion is…

an aggregate of the individual views, attitudes, and beliefs about a particular topic, expressed by a significant proportion of a community. [1]

The Published MediaWhen we see an issue that is frequent and prominent, we consider it as more important.

BUT what we see, goes through Agenda Setting and framing.

Agenda setting is the "ability [of major media] to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda.“[2]

It decides what is newsworthy, when its going to be presented

Framing is to portray a story or news in a particular way that purposely lead viewers’ attitude to one way or another

Therefore

____________________ ____________________

What we see, is usually what mainstream media want us to see

Internet Compared to traditional forms of media (TV, radio, magazine etc.), Internet is more accessible, open and interactive. Data shows Canadians spent 16hrs 57mins per week on internet, much more than traditional forms of media. [3]We not only get information, but also able to express our own opinions.

According to the United Nations agency, more than 3 billion people are now using the Internet.

The has increased from 738 million in 2000 to 3.2 billion in 2015,from 7% to 43% of the global population. [4]

Growing Use of Internet

Individuals can become a widespread source of information

Individuality

We tend to pay more attention only to what

we are more interested.And follow people who

we enjoy viewing their posts.

Preference

Sometimes we miss a part of the whole.

But…Sometimes we only see the part.

How do you think it affect our judgments?

On Internet…

Often times, we have no idea of the people online.And we may understand their words differently in real life.

The way we think and the real world can be greatly affected.

Internet provides a shortcut for the public to express their opinions, a public space for reflection.

Online petition system “We the People” is a section of the White House website that contribute to social responsibility. [5] A petition that reaches 100,000 signatures within 30 days, will receive a response from the White House.

<a href="http://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background">Background photograph designed by Onlyyouqj - Freepik.com</a>

Another positive influence of internet on public opinion is effectively promote transparency of information within the political democracy

People who are in the dominant position, usually wins by spending more time online and amount of posts. This greatly reduced the representativeness of public opinion on internet.

HOWEVER…

And yes, we can become very emotional

Factors include social class, education, gender and ethnic group shape public opinion. Society is not a homogeneous whole. Each component faces different challenges in its functioning, therefore, members of each component view the world differently. [6]

Although more people are getting news from the social sites, most Americans still see Facebook and Twitter as secondary news sources.

60% of both Twitter and Facebook users said that the sites were

“not a very important way”. [7]

In Conclusion…We are becoming more concerned with the objectivity; findings indicate that college students rely on other sources to confirm a news they hear through social media. [8]

Keep in mind of the part we might missed out.

Work Cited1. "public opinion". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 21 October. 2016. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/public-opinion>.

2. Reynolds, Amy. "News Influence Pictures of the." Media effects: Advances in theory and research 10.1 (2002).

3. Krashinsky, Susan. "Four Ways Canadians Are Consuming Media Differently." The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail, 04 Dec. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/four-ways-canadians-are-consuming-media-differently/article21949630/>.

4. Davidson, Jacob. "Here's How Many Internet Users There Are." Time. Time, 26 May 2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2016. <http://time.com/money/3896219/internet-users-worldwide/>.

5. Esrock, Stuart L., and Greg B. Leichty. "Social responsibility and corporate web pages: Self-presentation or agenda-setting?." Public relations review 24.3 (1998): 305-319.

6. Naqvi, By Hassan. "The Role of Public Opinion in a Democracy - The Express Tribune." The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune, 31 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Oct. 2016. <http://tribune.com.pk/story/861573/the-role-of-public-opinion-in-a-democracy/>.

7. Lichterman, Joseph. "New Pew Data: More Americans Are Getting News on Facebook and Twitter." Nieman Lab. Nieman Lab, 14 July 2015. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. <http://www.niemanlab.org/2015/07/new-pew-data-more-americans-are-getting-news-on-facebook-and-twitter/>.

8. Rosengard, Dana, Mary Tucker-McLaughlin, and Tim Brown. "Students and Social News How College Students Share News Through Social Media." Electronic News 8.2 (2014): 120-137.

9. All images sourced from pixabay, pixels and freepik. No attributions required for pixabay and pixels. Attribution put for freepik,