IRL #15

http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=106

This is the URL to an article and a video clip from the documentary Constructing Public Opinion (Executive Producer: Sut Jhally; Director/Editor: Susan Ericsson, Speaker Professor Justin Lewis). The clip relates to what we're studying in class because we are talking about the influence of mass media in the formation of public opinion in authoritarian states, and this video brings that down to a level we live at today - in America, not even an authoritarian state, but where we still have corporately-controlled mass media greatly influencing public opinion, via use of "public polls" formulated and reflected by the Media, etc. It adds value by providing examples of this common occurrence such as with the campaign of Bush and Algore that show us how relevant this issues is in today's world, and the video obviously also uses visual and audio techniques to drive across the message. Limitations when using this source could be that: if you were trying to learn about authoritarian states in particular, the US is not one; the documentary was published in 2001 and does include more recent and relevant examples such as the Obama campaign; and because this was a presentation by a form of media itself, there could have been existing motivations to play even more with the viewers' minds... How do we know the polls They presented were accurate?