Question

SECTION A 1. Define public opinion and illustrate (with a sketch) the process through which it is formed. 2. Explain four factors that can influence people's attitude towards an issue, idea or a person.

Answer 1

Public opinion refers to the wants, thinking and deaires of majority of the people in a country about any particular issue, idea or person. It refers ro rhe collective opinion of the people for a societal or state problem. It comes into effect with social and political factors and also with the massive role of media.

PROCESS OF FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION AGENDA MEDIA SETTING FRAMING SOCIAL DESIRABILITY

The formation process for the public opinion starts with an Agenda setting by the media outlets spread across the world. This agenda would dictates and tells that what is worthy or not, how it would be reported and when it would be reported This media agena is set up by various different environmental and newswork factors that would determine which news and stories are newsworthy or not.

Another step is the framing step. This is the step where the piece or the story that is being selected in the previous step is portrayed in a particular manner and is meant to sway the attitude of the public from one way to another. Many political issues are heavily framed for persuading the voters to vote for a particular candidate.

At last, the last step would consist of the social diserability and also the opinion formation. Social desirability is the process where people in general would form their opinions on the base of what they see, hear and believw is the prevalent opinion of the social group they identify themselves with.
Based on this media agenda and also the media framing, very often a particular opinion gets repeated at all mediums and networks and it creates a false vision where the percieved truth is actually very far away from the actual truth.

2. 4 factors that can influence the attitude of people towards various events, ideas, issue or person are:

1. Societal roles: The norms, moral and the customs of the people often make them change their attitude or also influence their attitude regarding what is being taught as their value and thus they would hold the same prejudice or judgement about any particular person or idea.

2. People around: The reference group or the peers around you also influence the attitude you develop for a different person or issue. Your family, friends etc and their respective opinion plays a major role influencing your attitude.

3. The media: Media is again one of the most important tool and way through which you get to influence your attitude about certain activities and people. The mass media like radio, television etc plays an important role in shaping the people's beliefs and attitudes.

4. Educational Factors: The type of education that is being given to us, the learnings and the knowledge we gain also influences our attitudes towards certain ideas and people.