Lippmann Public Opinion Summary

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1. Lippmann wrote that journalists can excel when reporting concrete facts or things that could be measured, such as sports scores and election results. However, Lippmann said that journalists often fail to deliver matters that require knowledge and interpretation, such as conflicts or policies. Lippmann thought journalism was flawed because first, journalists are humans and apt to mistakes, and second everybody interprets the world differently. What a reader understands about an article can be different than another reader. Also, news and truth are not the same thing according to Lippmann. That is because truth has a purpose to explore and expose the unknown into reality, while news has the purpose to make people aware of the unknown, unusual or bizarre. In “Public Opinion,” Lippmann also wrote how journalism is not a science, and that he preferred expert knowledge than public opinion because the press controlled the public opinion creating bias.

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The social responsibility theory of the press ensures that a free press delivers the truth alongside with journalistic ethical posture to the readers. The press is responsible of its self-regulation. The Hutchins Commission amplifies that professionalism and responsibility to society are keys for a free press. Owners of the press and those who manage it are the ones responsible to decide if unregulated initiative is tolerable or not. The Rolling Stone magazine article about rape last December do not reflect the social responsibility theory. The article is not accurate and it violates the journalistic code of conduct to check sources. The Rolling Stone should not rely on an outsider for fact-checking as they reported. The people who work at the magazine, especially in high positions such as editor in chief should check the report. Failure in journalistic standards and confirmation bias are not acceptable in the social responsibility

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