How does the media reflect and influence power?

Public Opinion

In this course, Dr Catherine Happer (University of Glasgow) explores the topic of public opinion. In the first module, we look at how the media reflects and influences power. Then, we explore how public opinion is formed and how the media influences this process. After this, we look at the role of the media in electoral outcomes. In the penultimate module, we look at public opinion beyond the mainstream media and social media. Finally, we discuss public opinion as it relates to sustainability and climate change.

How does the media reflect and influence power?

In this module, we look at how the media reflects and influences power. In particular, we will focus on: (i) how the media reflects and influences society and plays a role in the formation of public opinion; (ii) how media production is underpinned by power relations and elite sourcing; (iii) how media content is shaped by owners of media, advertisers, and pressure groups; (iv) how the propaganda model suggests that media serves to protect and promote shared economic interests and silence dissent; (v) how the media is seen as a mechanism for social control and the transmission of ideology; (vi) how the aim of the media is to control public opinion and win consent for favourable policies; (vii) how the media in liberal democracies may have the illusion of a free press, but ideology is still reproduced through filters; (viii) how the circuitry approach acknowledges the complexity of media as a battleground of ideas; (ix) how the media can hold power to account and play a role in decision-making and outcomes in society; and (x) how the media's influence on public opinion can be positive but also raise concerns about power and control.