In today's society, the distribution of information is controlled
largely by the print and electronic media. Directly and indirectly,
media affect the way in which people learn about their world and form
opinions on the salient topics of the day, heavily influencing the
process of social relations and the slant or spin applied to the news.
This becomes most apparent when one analyzes the ways in which the media
guide people's relationships with social institutions (e.g.,
educational, religious, governmental).
Lacking
the time and ability to interact personally with every social
institution, individuals depend on the media for information about a
variety of issues. Media may not always be largely responsible for
public opinion, but there are many documented cases in which this has
occurred.
When the bulk of collective knowledge of a given issue
is determined by the news media, the press becomes a major factor in the
formation of social attitudes and beliefs. According to David Fan, has
it been suggested not only that media shape public views of political
issues but that they also mold opinion within specific agenda items.
Michael Herzfeld maintains it is no exaggeration to say that in the
United States, media are a major force in society: They create as much
as they reflect the events taking place in the nation.
While
individual, seemingly insignificant messages conveyed in the media might
appear to have minimal effect, they may accrue over time and form
long-term trends of public opinion that affect the outcome of public
debate. This entry examines the portrayal by media of the relationship
between bilingual education and immigration and provides a context for
it in the broader dynamic of society and the press.
Given that
media play an important role in the construction of public opinion and
have the potential to directly affect the political process, it is
important to understand the impact that individual media forms have and
how they are consumed by the public. There are special characteristics
of newspapers that help to shape public opinion. While many people elect
to watch television and/or listen to the radio for their news and
information, the printed format of newspapers offers specific
advantages.
Newspapers are not limited by time. Readers can afford
to devote more time to read and review print news and editorializing
and to choose when and where they will do so. This lack of time
constraint also allows newspapers to present many more stories than
broadcast news on radio or television. This entry focuses on print media
in one state and how it influenced the public's view of a ballot
initiative to abolish bilingual education in that state
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