Chapter 4 book

These flashcards cover key terms related to public opinion and the media in Texas, including definitions essential for understanding the roles and impacts of media and public opinion in democracy.

Public Opinion

Attitudes citizens have about public policies, politicians, political institutions, and events.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals acquire political information and develop their political identities.

Political Efficacy

The belief that individuals have the capacity and agency to make a difference in politics.

Gender Gap

The tendency of women being more likely than men to support Democratic candidates in public opinion and voting.

Political Ideologies

Frameworks or systems of belief that frame how citizens think about the world, including politics.

Informational Shortcuts (Heuristics)

The process by which individuals take informational cues from family, friends, or political leaders when deciding their political views and who to vote for.

Scientific Polling

The practice of securing a representative sample in a poll that accurately represents and predicts public opinion and election outcomes.

Margin of Error

The difference between the actual and projected results in a random survey.

Policy Congruence

When the opinions of constituents and policymakers are in alignment.

Issue Saliency

The notion that not all opinions are equally important to voters in that some issues might have more intensity of support or opposition.

Media

Print and digital forms of communication—including television, newspapers, radio, the internet, and social media sites—that deliver news and information.

News Journalism

Reporting about individuals, issues, or current events with the aim of objectivity and transparency.

Investigative Journalism

News reporting involving in-depth research and analysis into a matter of public interest, such as crime, government corruption, or corporate malfeasance.

Opinion Journalism

News reporting that includes personal commentary and subjective judgments about an individual, event, or issue.

Endorsements

Support or approval that newspapers or other organizations give to political parties or candidates.

Citizen Journalism

News reporting and political commentary by ordinary citizens, not professional journalists, often distributed on social media.

Media Consolidation

The concentration of ownership of news sources into the hands of fewer individuals or companies.

Agenda-Setting

The media’s designation of some issues, events, or people as important and others not.

Framing

The process of presenting information from a certain perspective in order to shape the audience’s understanding of that information.

Mainstream Media

A mix of broadcast and print news agencies that have traditionally dominated the dissemination of news, especially prior to the internet.

Digital Media

Information created, shared, stored, and consumed through a digital device or screen.

Media Fragmentation

The trend in the media away from the dominance of a small number of outlets that reach a large and broad audience, toward more outlets that are often focused on narrower audiences.

Partisan Media

News organizations and content that mix opinion-driven journalism with factual reporting in order to appeal to consumers who are ideologically liberal or conservative.

News Desert

A community where residents have significantly diminished access to local news and information.

Algorithms

Programs that analyze users’ liking, viewing, commenting, and sharing on a platform to tailor future content for users.

Misinformation

False, inaccurate, or misleading information in the media.

Disinformation

False information distributed in the media with the intent to deceive the public.

Deepfakes

Video and digital recordings altered or generated using artificial intelligence to make it appear that a person has said or done things they have not.