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g E-mail among the individual opinions that make up
g Online communities public opinion on an issue.
g Web advertising (c) Description or analysis of the public role of
public opinion.
g DVD and CD-ROM media
(d) Study both of the communication media
g Virtual reality environments
that disseminate the ideas on which opin-
g Integration of digital data with the tele-
ions are based and of the uses that propa-
phone, such as internet telephony
ganda and other manipulators make of this
g Digital cameras media.
g Mobile computing
EFFECT OF MEDIA
Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. Its
importance in a democracy cannot be underesti-
mated. It sets the agenda to focus on the issues
which are related to public interest. This agenda
sometimes has positive effects in a democracy.
But, sometimes, it fails to do so. For example, the
media drew our attention to alarming levels of
pesticides in cola drinks. They published reports
that indicated the high level of pesticides. In this WHAT IS PUBLIC OPINION TO A
way, we were made aware of the fact that cola DEMOCRACY?
drinks were not safe. Despite the government’s In a democracy, like ours, it is an accepted idea
resistance, the media boldly covered this story that the public which is called upon to make
and thus played a positive role by focusing on an important decisions at the ballot box must be
issue that affects our life. But, sometimes, the kept informed of popular issues. It is also an
media fails to set agenda to raise issues that are important principle of our governmental system
significant in our lives. For example, they pub-
that public policies are decided upon by the
lished a wide coverage about the ‘Word Cup’,
people. Law making body over executives in the
but they did not publish one of the major issues
government and over domestic and foreign
related to drinking water. Every year, thousands
policy is a basic idea in our political society. The
of people suffer and die because they do not get people are the source of power. Hence their
safe drinking water. opinions should mould the action of govern-
PUBLIC OPINION ment.
Public opinion is the aggregate of individual The successful life or our government operating
attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population. under these principles justifies our faith in the
The principle approaches to the study of public people’s good judgement. We believe that once
opinion may be divided into four categories : the public views on public issues are known and
(a) Quantitative measurement of opinion acted upon, our government will be improved
distribution. rather than damaged. It is often said that only
(b) Investigation of the internal relationships those who distrust the public soundness of its
judgement need fear an expression of its views.
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