Does mainstream media reflect public opinion or seek to control it?

control it. Look at baloon hoax. No one cares, but CNN just will not let go. And to think this is during the great debate on HC.Does mainstream media reflect public opinion or seek to control it?
Great question: I have some opinions...





1. There is no mainstream media any more...cable news services has caught up with and passed the big 3 Networks...





2. ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN does not represent the overall public views, in their attempt to be diverse and politically correct has taken them way to the left...Their views are very progressive and liberal. Their agenda which started during the bashing of George Bush...is the liberal agenda. They pushed Obama during the election and slammed McClain...they were not neutral or fair...but extremely one sided for their support for Obama and the democrats. And this practice has continued during his presidency.





3. They are pushing the President's agenda and only report things that are favorable to him or toward him. They have reached a point of propagandist and only speak in terms that will sale the President's and Liberals ideology. They use their voice to ridicule the right and attack the GOP and its stands. All in the purpose of promoting the Liberal agenda.





4. The White House told these organizations over the weekend to stop airing FOX 's reports (such as the Van Jones marxist piece and the ACORN piece)...Now it this isn't a prime example of ';seeking to control public thought and speech'; what is?Does mainstream media reflect public opinion or seek to control it?
What they seek to do is make money. They make money by selling advertising at the highest rates possible. Advertising rates are scaled to ratings.





So in the end, if it gets ratings, that's what they will broadcast. You can make more money by parroting people's opinions back at them than by changing people's opinions. Changing opinions is seldom effective, and people don't tune in because they want their minds changed. They tune in to hear what they already believe.





So it's obvious to me that the media would rather reflect opinion than change it.





In fact, the entire marketing strategy of Fox News was based on this theory from the get-go. They did surveys and discovered that a substantial percentage of news watchers were disgruntled by what they perceived as a left-wing bias. So Fox deliberately adopted a right-wing bias, and dressed it up as 'fair and balanced.'
This is going to come down to ... Surprise! Surprise!... opinion. There are some excellent recent examples of what I perceive to be the mainstream media protecting like-minded people (see first link) and let us not forget Dan Rather's ill-fated Memo-gate. You can also see a drive to negate public opinion (e.g., Andrea Mitchell's ';they may not know what's good for them'; quip).


I provided a couple of other links for your review. The first is pretty brief and the second isn't too wordy. Enjoy!


Opinions will vary, but it is evident to me that there is a thin-skinned, vicious sect of the media that wants to decide what is news worthy (i.e., anything that promotes or protects a perceived sacred cow or damages what is deemed appropriate to destroy) and what isn't (...whatever makes certain ideologues fume, swoon or pee their pants). It seems the current administration here in the U.S. is keen on controlling information (and thus thought) and deciding who is and isn't worthy of the citizenry's time. Nice.
Honest news agencies reflect it. Others, like Fox, try to tell you what to think. If you give people the facts, as they exist, people can make their own opinions.
It doesn't reflect it it. Try to control it? Yes, I think so. I wish they would just report the frigging news. I am sick of the hate spewing.
Over 96% of America thinks so that is why they watch it.


Less than 4% of Americans think that Faux News reflects public opinion.
Depends on the outlet. CNN seems to reflect public opinion, while MSNBC and Fox News seek to control it.
both #########