The mass media are quite a powerful tool in the hands of everyone - from politicians to political strategists. It is no secret that it is the media that shape public opinion on certain events. Disputes about the fact that the media allegedly do not have a special influence on the thoughts and feelings of people are groundless, tk. the mass media include not only television and print, but also the Internet, which is so popular today, where many get information.
The concept of "public opinion" means a whole set of different judgments, as well as assessments of the situation and certain actions of certain officials and unofficial persons. Moreover, such views can easily be influenced from the outside. This can be seen in the examples of information wars that regularly develop in the world.
The public's main focus is usually on a number of institutions that shape public opinion - the state, the church, etc. The media are usually referred to as the fourth estate, and this is no accident. This situation is due to the fact that the media are quite capable of competing for popularity with them.
The media has a certain amount of attention on minds. And this is due to their massiveness, as well as the fact that to confirm this or that point of view, they regularly involve experts. However, looking at news stories or reading analytics, few think about which side of the dispute the experts support. After all, there are no absolutely impartial people. As a result, a person begins to form a certain point of view, confirmed by scientific data, statistics and other reliable sources. But in any case, it will not be neutral.
Using competently the influence of the media on the minds of mankind, you can conduct entire PR-campaigns that will be quite successful. History knows cases when, against the background of propaganda and advertising of one person, country, etc. there was a complete rethinking of information, fraternal wars began, etc.
The formation of public opinion also depends on how the event is presented to society. For example, if this is done by a reputable journalist who has long proven his competence, his words will be heeded. But the serious words and facts voiced from the lips of a person who often flickers on the screen, but there is no trust in him, will simply not be heard.
Fashion for certain media also makes its own adjustments to the formation of public opinion. So, for example, 20 years ago television was considered a fashionable source, the words of announcers were trusted more than the printed word. Now the TV has gone out of trust, and it has been replaced by the Internet. After all, on the network you can watch videos, read articles, and reviews, as well as get acquainted with analytics.
Today, the influence of the media on the minds of society has been proven and is actively used by specialists in neuro-linguistic programming. They choose the picture, text and sound so that all of this is as close to their goals as possible. As a result, a person unconsciously begins to succumb to this influence and creates in his head this or that picture of the world and the development of events.
