What’s public opinion, and who’s your public?

Politicians, communicators, social philosophers and business owners have been infinitely interested in public opinion since the 1300s. Journalist Walter Lippmann defined it in his 1922 book, Public Opinion, as “primarily a moralized and codified version of human preconceptions.” The definition developed in the later 20^th century to encompass “prevailing frame of mind – most often from an array of differing opinions – publicly expressed by a significant number of persons on an issue of public concern” (Bernard Hennessy, 1970).

By the 1980s, the concept of publics had evolved to the recognition that no one “prevailing frame of mind” could explain public opinion, or, more relevantly to business, be used to create campaigns to influence public opinion. Seitel and Fraser in their widely-used textbook, The Practice of Public Relations, listed four categories of public opinion:

The general public or “nonpublic” – having “little interest in the facts surrounding public issues or the issues themselves.”
The attentive public – “knows that certain issues are prominent in the public arena.”
The informed public – “not only knows the issues but participates in the dialogue concerning them.”
The elite public – “initiates and defines the issues and manages the public discussion about them.”

What has changed since the new millennium and the development of social media? One could argue: everything. While we still have the nonpublic, those with little or no interest in public issues, as well as attentive, informed and elite publics, the ability of the latter three to influence policy and issues formation has been merged and blurred by the power of social media.

At one time, before the breakdown of traditional gate-keeping institutions, the elite public – corporate giants, politicians, philosophers, editors, reporters, writers and religious leaders, among others, were the initiators and definers of the issues that arrived on the radar screens of most consumers. Concepts of consumer tastes, fads, reforms, revolution, war and peace and movements such as labor, civil and women’s rights and became mainstream through the noted thinkers and leaders of the time.

Businesses have had a long tradition of working through these gatekeepers to promote products and services. Now, look what’s happened! Major corporations have been snapped to attention through social media campaigns and YouTube videos such as “United Breaks Guitars.” Facebook would be the fourth-largest national in the world if its more than 350 million users were a country, and those users have launched millions more groups and fan pages.

Each and every one of those users, whether merely attentive, informed or elite, has the potential to create a movement, cause change and transform public opinion. Do you know where the people you and your business care about are showing up online? Are you listening to your publics?