Media and Us: Influencing the Public Opinion - Prague, Czech Republic

A very interesting and attractive the rise. what is right or wrong and influences lecture was organized by the People are afraid of becoming socially our willingness to discuss controversial Czech UPF chapter in Prague isolated and thus try to avoid such issues in public, pointed out the on the 24th January 2017. The situations as demonstrated by the speaker. An opinion which is favoured topic was Media and Us: Influencing psychologist Solomon Asch in his by the journalists appears stronger than the Public Opinion presented by an conformity experiments, continued the it is. The result is a spiral process which Austrian journalist Barbara Grabner. speaker. They showed how people prompts readers/listeners/viewers to The lecture was attended by some 30 yield to, or defy decisions and attitudes follow suit, until the journalists´ people; among them were journalists, of the majority group. People feel more opinion is established as the prevailing politicians and students. They comfortable by agreeing with opinions attitude and becomes the norm. appreciated the professionalism and that they know are wrong instead of The media shapes public opinion by knowledge of the lecturer based not telling others their viewpoint like in the selecting sources and topics. An only on the theory but also on her own fairy tale The Emperor’s New Clothes. opinion or fact which is not published experience. Next question was if the Internet has appears to be “non-existent the power to free people from the fear People understand events and of social isolation. Research shows that circumstances mainly by symbols and people withdraw from discussion even pictures produced by media reports said in an online setting, when there is a in her speech Mrs. Grabner. These dominant opinion that differs from their pictures in our heads derive from the own. Internet users prefer to media using stereotypes as means to communicate with like-minded make complicated matters simple and individuals who have similar values. easy to understand. But they also The press primarily gives coverage to produce prejudices and lead to people who are highly educated, or who stigmatisation. Walter Lippmann said: have greater status (fame) or who do “We are all captives of the picture in The event was opened by Dr. Juraj our heads”. not fear isolation and are likely to speak Lajda, UPF secretary general who explained the importance of the topic out regardless of public opinion. The As an example of the biased journalism vocal minority is a major factor of Mrs. Grabner named reports on terror. especially in today’s world and society. change while the silent majority is a In the year 2015 around 1000 terror Mrs. Grabner spoke about the Spiral of factor of stability. There is a vocal suspects have been arrested in the Silence theory developed by a German minority, which remains at the top of European Union – among them were sociologist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann. the spiral in defiance of threats of 667 jihadists, 168 According to this theory people almost isolation. As an example, Mrs. Grabner nationalists/separatists, 67 leftist and instinctively sense the opinions of those used the abortion debate in Germany. 11 rightists. In contrast the media around them, and shape their behaviour STERN magazine featured famous rarely reports about leftist violators but to the prevailing attitude about what is women who did abortion even while focus on acts of violence by the acceptable and what is not. People are prohibited by law. Afterwards law was extreme right. more willing to publicly express their changed. From the huge amount of news which opinions when they perceive their view are daily available,

journalists/publishers filter the news The lecturer tried to answer the of the political and social sphere. stories which they want to be spread. question about the motivation of the Politicians who failed can be voted out Personal preferences are the key factor journalist. She named explicit desire to of office. But what about journalists of selection. Selective reporting shapes change or reform society, to gain fame who write the untruth causing the preferences and decisions of the and feel gratification through publicity, damages? Who controls the controller? population. Bias may cause a the power to avenge personal asked the lecturer. The German credibility gap if the public detects grievances, to be an advocate for a just sociologist Helmut Schellsky called grave forms of selective reporting. cause, the ability to shape politics or to them „desk criminals“ said in Research shows that the majority of make history. conclusion the speaker. journalists prefer leftist or liberal In her speech Mrs. Grabner mentioned Afterward the lecture there was a lively views/sources. Television teams also the advocacy journalism. News discussion. Among the debaters was employ certain camera techniques to reports are intended to be objective and also the chairman of the Czech influence the opinion and decision of unbiased. In contrast, advocacy Television Council, that supervises the voters. The viewers often do not know journalists have a distinctive opinion television and radio broadcasting in the about party affiliations or world view about the story they are writing. They Czech Republic. This lecture launched of the sources. The existence of want to support a “just cause” (to a media project in our country. numerous newspapers or TV channels expose political corruption, etc.). To In the end Dr. Lajda mentioned 5 does not guarantee a diversity of create some balance, they may include ethical rules of the Washington Times opinions, or freedom of choice claimed other opinions under the motto: “Don’t newspaper: Media should be free and the speaker. Today the great conformity give your opponents equal time, but responsible, media should me moral, of media reports is not caused by force don’t ignore them either.” get the whole story, get it right, and be like in totalitarian systems but by self- Journalists inform and educate the the first to get it. censorship. public but also function as watch dogs