People constantly form and revise their opinions about public figuresoften in response to recent tv appearances or Internet gossip

Fickle and variable

Even when a group shares an opinion, there may besubgroups within the group that conflict

Only a small number of people at any given time participatein public opinion formation

Three reasons explain the profound influenceof vocal segments of society and publicopinion momentum

PR professionals need to identify and track public opinionsto affect outcomes.

Plays a role in moving a group of people to action

Awareness and discussion crystallizes opinions

Through media coverage, an issue is placed on the public agenda

Identify key audiences through analysis of public opinion

Interest and knowledge in a subject

Formal or informal

Not always highly visible in communities

Not always leaders in other regards

Help frame and define issues

handout

People rely on mass media, but also rely on formal and informalperson-to-person communication

Information is disseminated through media to opinion leaderswho then itneract with other less informed members of public

Indicates that some people eventually become interested in an issuethrough a chain of two-step flow processes

"Opinion Makers" are at the heart of this process

"Attentitive public" are interested in the issue butrely on opinion leaders to synthesize information

"Inattentive public" are unaware and uninterested in an issueand remain outside the opinion-formation process

N=unknown

People are seldom influenced by only one opinion leader

Explains that individuals adopt new ideas or productsthrough face stages

People tend to talk about what they see or hear on TV news programsor read on the front pages of newspapers.

The media not only sets agendas but alsoconvey a set of attributions about the various subjects in the news.

Select certain facts, themes, treatments, and wordsto frame or shape a story

Gatekeeping

Interpretation of issues

Creation of subtle nuances

Framing is a continuous process and that the behavioral, attitudinal,cognitive, and affective statuses of individuals influence how theyinterpret issues

Ultimately, the goal is to encourage voters to changethe basis on which they make decisions about votingrather than simply change their choices about a given candidate or issue

Conflict theory offers insight into differencesand explains conflict.

History: Greeks formalized the concept of persuasion byinstituting rhetoric as a central part of the educational system.

"Persuasion is an activity in which a communicator attempts to inducea change in the belief, attitude, or behavior of another person orgroup of persons through the transmission of a message in a contextin which the persuadee has some degree of free choice."

Persuasion is used to:

It is difficult to turn hostile opinions into favorable ones.

"Negotiation"--the process by which two or more partiesattempt to settle disputes, reach agreement aboutcourses of action, and bargain for individual or collectiveadvantage.

How parties position themselves before negotiationscan be crucial to how the give-and-take unfolds.

Characteristics, beliefs, attitudes,values, concerns, and lifestyles

Helps communicators tailor messagesthat are important

Demographic information

Psychographics

People become involved in issues or messages thatappeal to their needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Attitude and belief is changed by involement

People endorse ideas and take actions only ifthey are accompanied by a proposed action from the sponsor.

Furnish detailed information as to how

Expertise

Sincerity

Charisma

Will the audience understand the message?

What do I want the audience to do with the message?

Newspapers

Radio

Texting or Tweets

Social Networking Sites

Face-to-Face

More persuasive if environmentalfactors support the message (timing)

And if the message is received within the contextof other message and situations with which theindividual is familiar. (context)

Important to have a firm understanding of the public'score values so that can be taken into considerationwhen designing a message

Not everyone looks at the same thing

Message distortion as they pass through media gatekeepers

Messages are filtered through socialstructures and belief systems

People act on what they know

"The people most sought after in an audienceare often the least likely to be there."

The channel through which messages are interpreted

different people will see the samemessage in a different way