What is the Role of Mass Media in Shaping Public Opinion?
Mass media is typically a diverse array of media technologies that aim at reaching a broad audience through mass communication. Mass media, which include television, radio, print media such as newspapers and magazines, and the internet, have a robust public influence and play a vital role in shaping the opinions and attitudes of the public (Wagner, 2018). Ideally, the media significantly influences public opinion, especially on topics that the public has insufficient information. The news media focus the attention of the public on certain social and political issues and personalities, making many individuals develop opinions and perceptions about them. The views of the public are shaped by how the political and social events are reported through different mass media channels. This paper will aim at establishing the role played by mass media in shaping the opinions and perceptions of the general public.
The significance of mass media in shaping and influencing public opinion is experienced mostly when the news media cause exchange of different points of view and opinions between the general public and the people in power. The mass media keeps individuals with different powers actively engaged or involved in politics and society. It also plays a central role in informing the public about what happens in the world. People learn about the undertakings of the government from the media (Banducci, 2017). On the other hand, the government gathers people’s perceptions and opinions through the media.
The primary role of mass media is conveying the reality and uncovering the underlying facts regarding various issues faced by the public. A vast number of people depend on the mass media to get news and updates. It offers a wide range of information that is useful to the public. However, with the current intoxication of the media, it possesses the power to influence and shape public opinion, especially over major topics such as politics, religion, and education. The level of mass media influence varies, and reports and media messages are not received uniformly by all audiences. Logic, knowledge from other sources, and direct experience are among the factors that determine the degree at which the public rejects or accepts mass media messages, thus influencing the development of different opinions (Bray, 2018). The media messages that depict factual coverage without perpetuating myths, stereotypes, and without spreading misinformation lead to the establishment of positive attitudes and opinions by the public.
The agenda-setting approach is usually the primary emphasis on public opinion. This theory aims at triggering the creation of public awareness and concern regarding silent issues. This approach is vital in the shaping of public opinion by the media as it shows how the media focuses on a few subjects and issues, making the public to perceive that those topics and issues are more important than others (Protess & McCombs, 2016). According to the theory, the more prominently and frequently news media cover an issue; the more accessible the issue becomes in the public’s memories. Therefore, agenda-setting and mass media coverage have a significant influence on what people perceive other individuals are thinking.
In conclusion, the mass media has a massive impact on shaping public attitudes, opinions, and education. It is a powerful guardian of proper political behavior because the public or audiences tend to trust the press depending on how factual the news reports are. The society, which makes up the voter population, believes that mass media should provide information concerning government undertakings and wrongdoings and also offer proper suggestions. Mass media’s political importance is backed by its ability to reach large audiences.
References
Banducci, S. (2017). The role of mass media in shaping public opinion and voter behavior. In the Routledge Handbook of Elections, Voting Behavior, and Public Opinion (pp. 305-318). Routledge.
Bray, M. (2018). The Role of Media in Shaping Public Opinion. Retrieved from https://wcuquad.com/6010053/op-ed/the-role-of-media-in-shaping-public-opinion/
Protess, D., & McCombs, M. E. (2016). Agenda Setting: Readings on media, public opinion, and policymaking. Routledge.
Wagner, A. (2018). The role of media influence in shaping public energy dialogues. The Oxford Handbook of Energy and Society, 381.