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The Media 's Influence On The Public

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Over the last fifty years the media has played a bigger part in the influence on the public by using ever evolving technology. How does the media have influence over the decisions of society? It is simple really, if you have the power to show the public what you want then you have a great influence on them. Malcom X said it well, “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that 's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” He greatly emphasizes the influence of the news outlets and just how much control that they have over the American public. There are many forms of media that are influential in the public eye. In the early years, there were only telegraphs and post offices. As time progressed, outlets such as the radio, magazines, newspapers, and TV began to encompass our daily lives. Today, the internet is one of the biggest media influences via smartphones, tablets, and laptops. There are many ways these outlets impact our nation but the one we will focus on is how the election process was covered by the media. A friend of mine said this about the media’s influence and I will paraphrase. Naturally if you hear more of one opinion or from one media source it will gradually have a greater effect on your decisions. If you do not read or watch anything else, then how do you have any other option than to believe what the media always tells you? “Fortunately, in the political

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