Readers’ letters reveal public opinion forming outside conscious awareness

Evidence

Public opinion is not formed when individuals possess correct representations of the environment, even if correct representations were possible. It is formed only in discussion, when it is made active in community life. Although news suffers from many of the deficiencies Lippmann cites, its major deficiency is not its failure to represent. The line between an adequate image and a stereotype is impossible to draw anyway. The purpose of news is not to represent and inform but to signal, tell a story, and activate inquiry. — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 372 (#qualifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Public opinion forms only through discussion, not correct representations — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 372; Published behavior reveals opinion resonance more than private polling does — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 278; Letter-writers may be unrepresentative of the broader public — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 409

Related

• Public opinion forms only through discussion, not correct representations (similarity 0.87)
• Letter-writers may be unrepresentative of the broader public (similarity 0.86)
• Published behavior reveals opinion resonance more than private polling does (similarity 0.85)

Broader Connections

• Public opinion forms only through discussion, not correct representations #qualifies (0.55) — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 372