Mass media has the power to reach so many people and households every day, but it also has the power to influence our perception of the news we receive. People depend on the media for news, whether it be through the TV, the newspaper, magazines, the internet, or a combination of these.
The information we receive and react to is all determined by the media. The public’s agenda of issues is shaped by the media based on the stories they choose to report, and the level of importance they choose to report those stories.
The mass media determines for us what is and is not important for us to know. It creates discussion and hype about stories based on how it presents them to the public. If a story is detailed and retold constantly over a long period of time, then the public will receive the story as being important. The same is also true of the opposite. News that is perceived to have minimal importance based on how much attention the story receives will determine how the public perceives its importance.
A great example of this is a newspaper. What the media thinks is the most important story is placed on the front page with pictures and a huge, eye catching headline that’s hard to miss. News that is apparently less important is written as shorter, less detailed stories that are hidden throughout the paper.
Our agenda of issues in the news is determined by what and how the media choose to share information with the public. We react to this presentation of news based on its “importance.”
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