Eike Mark Rinke

Attitudinal and Behavioral Consequences of Published Opinion Polls

It is a truism to speak of the key normative role that public opinion polls play in contemporary democratic societies. Theorists and practitioners have long extolled how polls inextricably link citizens to their elected officials. Indeed, public opinion polls not only offer citizens a mechanism with which to express their sentiment on key issues of the day but also provide policy makers with information about what their constituents might or might not desire. Citizens may be able to express their views on a particular issue through individual acts such as donating money to a cause or writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper, but along with voting polls are one of the few opportunities that offer the mass public equal voice. Moreover, the role that polls play in the citizen–policy maker relationship hinges upon their dissemination by the mass media.

Journalismus und Politik

Die Interrelation von Journalismus und Politik ist, in einem anspruchsvollen Sinn, zentral fur das Funktionieren von Demokratie. Das Kapitel gibt eine uberschau der wichtigsten normativ-theoretischen Anspruche an diese Interrelation sowie relevanter empirischer Befunde zu ihr. Es beschreibt zunachst drei zentrale normative Demokratiemodelle und prasentiert sodann Ergebnisse normativ angeleiteter und relevanter empirischer Forschung zu den Beziehungen von Journalismus und Politik. Wir betrachten dabei jeweils Deutschland im internationalen Vergleich und behandeln zunachst die Strukturen, dann die Inhalte und schlieslich die Wirkungen des politischen Journalismus.

Teaching the Dynamics of Framing Competitions.

Courses: Political Communication, Communication Theory, Public Opinion Objective: To make students aware of and understand the processes involved in public framing competitions.