a like Time and Newsweek, major network nightly news (NBC, CBS), and widely read newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, tend to be more liberal in voice, often reporting information in a tilted fashion to a general audience. Other sources, more attuned to serious news viewers usually receive less attention and are likely to report in a conservative manner. Some of these modes include CNN and C-SPAN, for the television networks, The American Spectator, a right leaning magazine, and The Washington Times and The New York Post, daily newspapers. Furthermore, there is heightened political awareness and available information during campaigning seasons when every hopeful politician has a Web site touting accomplishments and goals, while conversely; anti-candidate pages fill search engines as well. Even more obvious is television advertisements, political mailings, and yard signs that consciously target voters.Latent socialization is the information individuals get less directly. Often times it is disguised, or present in the unconscious but not consciously expressed. Family values instilled during childhood are a prime example of latent socialization. At an early age we learn our parent’s political attitude and support them throughout our lives. “Individuals have psychological defense mechanisms that protect their ingrained beliefs. When faced with situations that might challenge their original views, they can readily muster reasons for clinging to them because these views are deeply ingrained” (Patterson 159). These standards affect our everyday thinking and political processing because they are ingrained in our ideals. However, “most Americans are relatively pragmatic in their political judgments. Rather than applying an ideological framework, they tend to judge policies by whether they appear to be working or seem likely to work (Patterson 164).Therefore, instrumental socializatio...
