Questions for Discussion
1 Polls in the 2016 presidential election predicted a win for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump and suggested that Joseph Biden would win by a larger majority over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. In each case, the polls underestimated the support for Donald Trump. What factors may explain this error?
2 Walter Lippmann (1922) stated that the function of the press is to “create pictures in our heads of the world outside. However, he pointed out ways in which those “pic–
tures” were often distorted and incorrect. In other words, he was recognizing the role of the press in the creation of a social construction of reality.
What factors or situations limit the press in its ability to create an accurate picture of reality? How can these factors or situations impact a democracy?
Can you think of recent examples in which an incorrect “picture” was created by the press or a particular media group that resulted in an incorrect social reality for some?
