A Research On How To Direct Public Opinion With Mass Media

The object of the government image communication is the people, with its essence being to direct public opinion. Therefore, one of the key questions is how to effectively direct and communicate with the public. This paper is focused on creating a benign environment for public opinion with mass media, so as to maintain the stability of the society hence promotes the government image. The paper explains the relationship between public opinion, government, media and the public, pointing out that public opinion is the process and result of the interaction between the other three elements; that the government is the director of public opinion; that the government guides the public opinion to control the society by controlling mass media. Besides, based on the exposition of the opportunities and challenges faced by the government, the media and the public, the paper discusses the strategies of guiding the public opinions, that is, to strengthen the direction of macro public opinion from principle to mechanism. The paper also discusses strategies with Chinese characteristics: the government emphasizes its self-development; to perfect the spokesman system; to promote the cooperation between government and the media on one hand and focus on the main media on the other hand. In the meantime, the government should pay attention to new media such as the Internet. By doing so, the government image can be protected and development in politics and economy can be achieved.