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The media regularly use public opinion polls in their reporting of important news stories. But how exactly do they report them and to what end? In this insightful and accessible interview, Professor Justin Lewis demonstrates the way in which polling data are themselves used by the media to not just reflect what Americans think but instead to construct public opinion itself. Addressing vital issues (e.g., the role the media play in "manufacturing consent" for political elites, what polls really tell us about public opinion, what Americans actually think about politics), Constructing Public Opinion provides a new way to think about the relationship between politics, media and the public.

Exploding the myth that most Americans are moderate or conservative, Constructing Public Opinion demonstrates the way in which political elites help to promote the military industrial complex and how the media sustains belief in an electoral system with a built-in bias against the interests of ordinary people. Well illustrated with graphics and many examples of media coverage, it is the first film of its kind to present a critical analysis of media and public opinion.

Sections: Political Perceptions | Economic Forces | Media Coverage | The Phantom Liberal | Military Omissions | Democratic Ideals

Duration: 32 min
ISBN: 1-893521-42-7
Date Produced: 2001

Discussion Guide
Transcript

Filmmaker Info
Executive Producer: Sut Jhally

Director, Editor: Susan Ericsson

Film Festivals
Official Selection, 2002 Black Point Film Festival