ABSTRACT
The observation by Walter Lippmann outlines the division of intellectual labour in the formation of public opinion about a largely remote, unobtrusive world. It is a division of labour between individual citizens and the news media, which Walter Lippmann took up in the opening pages of public opinion. Democratic theory long has assigned the news media a major role in exploring the political happenings of the world, both those public events that are part of everyday government as well as those private events that governing officials often go to great lengths to conceal. Of all the popular questions involving political communication and public opinion, this is by far the dominant one. Daily surveillance of the world outside is the principal function of journalism. In the formation of public opinion both the news media and the public have surveillance and leadership roles to perform.
