public opinion

-News reports often contain the subjective opinions of the people reporting them-

point

Humans see what they want to see.

Humans simplify things to understand them.

Public opinion is not always true.

Walter Lippmann. 1889-1974. American journalist.

This is a masterpiece by Lippmann, who is known as one of the greatest figures in American journalism.

The author points out that humans tend to understand things through certain fixed images, calling this a stereotype. He argues that people are drawn to what they want to see and distance themselves from what they don't want to see, creating a pseudo-environment. This pseudo-environment, combined with stereotypes, is how people perceive reality. This perception then shapes public opinion. The author argues that public opinion, born from perceptions far removed from the truth, is inherently polluted, and takes a skeptical stance towards democracy. In the final chapter, he presents reason as a solution, but maintains a certain distance, which can be interpreted as a challenge to the reader.

First reading completed on 2021/06/10

Thank you for reading. Goodbye for now. Take care :)

Author: Walter Lippmann Translator: Tomiko Kakegawa Paperback: 270p (Volume 1), 306p (Volume 2) Publisher: Iwanami Bunko