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In the 21st century, public opinion is widely thought to be heavily influenced by the media; many studies have been undertaken which look at the different factors which influence public opinion. Politicians and other people concerned with public opinion often attempt to influence it using advertising or rhetoric.
The media's agenda-setting power can shape the issues that receive attention from the public and policymakers. Media coverage can impact public opinion and policy preferences. Political parties can also influence the media agenda formation. The media's influence on politics is not always consistent and can vary depending on the context.
Politics and the mass media are closely intertwined, as the mass media play a role in shaping public opinion around political topics and figures. Media is at times referred to as the fourth branch of government in democratic countries, or the fourth estate for its role as a watchdog for political affairs for the public.
The theory suggests that the media can shape public opinion by determining what issues are given the most attention, and has been widely studied and applied to various forms of media. The way news stories and topics that impact public opinion are presented is influenced by the media. [3]
The term "fake news" has been weaponized with the goal of undermining public trust in news media. [155] President Donald Trump seized on the term "fake news" [161] [162] as a way of denigrating any story or outlet critical of him, even appearing to claim to have invented the term [163] and handing out so-called "Fake News Awards" in 2017. [164]
Mass media's effects on both public opinion and the perception of the public opinion are central to the spiral of silence theory. One of the earliest works that called attention to the relationship between media and the formation of public opinion was Walter Lippmann's book "Public Opinion", published in 1922. [20]
The role of the media in the perception of the Vietnam War has been widely noted. Intense levels of graphic news coverage correlated with dramatic shifts of public opinion regarding the conflict, and there is controversy over what effect journalism had on support or opposition to the war, as well as the decisions that policymakers made in response.
The 2016 United States Presidential Election was an example in which social media was used by the state actor Russia to influence public opinion. Tactics such as propaganda, trolling, and bots were used to leak fake news stories that included an "FBI agent had been killed after leaking Clinton's emails" and "Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump."