Mobocracy : how the media's obsession with polling twists the news, alters elections, and undermines democracy / Matthew Robinson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robinson, Matthew, 1971-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mass media and public opinion--United States.

Mass media and public opinion.

Election monitoring.

United States.

Mass media--Political aspects--United States.

Mass media.

Mass media--Political aspects.

Election monitoring--United States.

Public opinion--United States.

Public opinion.

Physical Description:

vi, 378 pages ; 23 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

[Roseville, Calif.] : Forum, [2002]

Summary:

... and they're using "public opinion" to keep you misinformed. Welcome to the world of Mobocracy -- a place where opinion polls, wielded by a cynical, ideologically driven press, distort the news and change opinion. It's a place where the fleeting whims of a largely ignorant populace are used to supplant thoughtful, reasonable debate, and where, all too often, pollsters and the art they practice are shrouded behind a cloudy curtain of clever wording, data manipulation, and hidden agendas. This is Mobocracy.

Never before in the history of our nation have public opinion polls played such a central role in the way policy is conceived, molded, and enacted. And at no time has there been a more dangerous and misleading abuse of public opinion than now. In Mobocracy, Matthew Robinson uncovers how the media's obsession with polling drives public policy, subverts elections, and decides what we see on the evening news. He reveals how our country's democratic process has been corrupted by the mob rule of an ill-informed electorate whose opinions are trumpeted at the expense of thoughtful reporting.

Through meticulous research and insightful interviews, this book exposes how the questionable science of polls can be manipulated, how poll-driven news leads to shallow coverage, and how many of our elected officials have come to serve poll results more than they serve their constituents. You will discover the underhanded ways that polls -- not the Constitution or the law -- drove the Clinton impeachment process, the 2000 presidential election, the confirmation hearings of government officials, and other critical events. You will find how coverage of many of the most divisive issues, such as abortion, gun control, and health care, is manipulated by polling that too often seeks to further an agenda, not measure opinion. And you will learn how to see through these ruses in the future. Timely, provocative, and thoughtful, Mobocracy is a wake-up call to those concerned about the health of our republic and our freedom under the Constitution.

Contents:

1. Media Lifeblood 1

2. The Mirage of Democratic Debate 45

3. Fixing the Game from the Start 107

4. The Definition of "Is:" The Complex Nature of Wording 147

5. Democratizing Ignorance 179

6. The Dangers of Ignorance: Be Afraid, Very Afraid 207

7. Politicians and Polls: Everything You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You 245

8. The Politics of Impeachment: If You Don't Have an Opinion, One Will Be Appointed to You 271

9. Accountability, Openness, and Other Absurd Reform Ideas 321.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 361-372) and index.

ISBN:

0761535829

OCLC:

47767202