Public opinion

by Walter Lippmann

"Public Opinion" by Walter Lippmann is a book published in 1922. It examines how people construct simplified mental images of complex reality through stereotypes and "pseudo-environments," making functional democracy challenging. Lippmann explores how mass media shape public perception, how news inherently involves selection and bias, and why he believes a specialized class of experts must analyze information for society. This influential work sparked debate about democracy, expertise, and the manufacture of consent.