Public Opinion and the Crowd

"Public Opinion and the Crowd" — a book first published by Tarde in 1892, but still relevant today, is one of the foundational works of mass communication theory. In it, the scholar discusses the concept of the "public" as the... highest form of the crowd — a stagnant and gullible mass, short-lived and dependent on its leader.

The public is also dependent, but already on the mass media, which systematically shapes its opinion, united by a commonality of judgments (imposed externally by the same mass media) and inclined towards novelty. It is more socially closed than the crowd, more tolerant of others' opinions. However, it is enough to skillfully manipulate its opinion for the public to revert back to a destructive crowd...