Construction of Public Opinion in a Digital Age

Catherine Happer is Professor of Media Sociology at the University of Glasgow and Director of the Glasgow University Media Group.

• Introduction1 The disconnect: mis-managing public trust2 Filtering for opinion: a new conceptual model 3 Class, education and media cultures: ‘them’ versus ‘us’4 The new gatekeepers of digital content and opinion5 Climate, COVID and the cost of living: getting up close to global crises ConclusionAppendix: Empirical studies and datasets 2011-2020BibliographyIndex

‘Poised to become a cornerstone in media and audience studies, Happer’s book offers a ground-breaking model for understanding how demands for change are accommodated into systems of power. Moving from the comprehensive methodologies pioneered by the Glasgow Media Group and extensive empirical evidence across a variety of case studies, Happer expands the field into uncharted territories.This is a much-needed work for anyone seeking to understand the evolving landscape of communication and its impact on public opinion, and for those who advocate for a focus on solutions to societal problems in media studies. In particular, researchers will appreciate the 6-level working model to analyse opinion formation, and external actors may use it to monitor and develop effective policies supporting democratic debates during crises.’Dr Giuliana Tiripelli, Senior Lecturer, De Montfort University‘This is an elegantly written book that will be of great interest to media academics and students around the world concerned with media power. It offers an empirically rich examination of the media’s influence on public opinion and social change in the context of public disaffection and a transformed media landscape.’Professor James Curran, Goldsmiths, University of London‘Questions of trust in journalism and public communication have rarely been more urgent than now. This valuable book offers an expert guide to the economic, social and cultural changes in the media industries that have made those questions so vital today, and sets out important responses to spiralling culture wars.’Professor Graham Meikle, University of Westminster