In accordance to (Dictionary.com 2011), the term media is outlined to get any means of interaction just like the tv, radio, newspaper and so on. that achieve quite giant numbers of folks at any granted time. General public view nevertheless is outlined as being the collective belief or look at of numerous consumers on some difficulty or issue, and so on. mainly as being a direct to motion or choice.

From as early because the 18th century, the media or perhaps the press because it was referred to on the previous was taken into consideration the ‘Fourth Estate’. Like a issue of simple fact the time period was coined by Edmund Burke a British Politician inside late 1700s. Burke posited that along with the (3) three branches or (estates) of presidency (Govt, Judiciary & Legislature), the press was the “fourth estate”; the latter he said was the most important of them all since only the press had the power to really unction the population on certain issues and also force the government’s hand for any real change to come about. Since more contemporary times, the push has still maintained this somewhat symbiotic relationship together with the populous.

It is true that general public judgment is shaped to some extent by the information presented by the media, (Roberts 1971) posited that “the distribution of information among the members of a society makes possible public belief, which cannot help but influence the course of government…”. Roberts further highlights that each from the various forms of political electrical power is characterized relating to the basis belonging to the amount of information it distributes; in authoritarian states, for example, control is usually exercised through instituting censorship. That is through control belonging to the media authoritarian leaders attempt to mold the minds of their men or women by giving them access to only information which supports the benefits of prevailing policies-policies which may have been determined with little regard for the families.

In a democratic state however, it is vastly different and in this type of state, the regular people have a right and responsibility to influence the policies by which they are governed, so said by (Roberts, 1971). In a society most notably ours, this assumption gives the media a major role in governance. This is particularly true as only the media in a lot of cases is the only sect able to rally full public participation in a wide selection of vital and complex issues; issues similar to voting, human rights, environment issues, education, and issues about the economy are just a few to mention. This essay serves to highlight the ways in which the media interacts with various populations, and how they manipulate each other. I will also seek to explain the ways in which public opinion and the media influence each other and their relationship altogether.

The information provided thus far, indicates that the role within the media with the contemporary democratic society is to act as being a passage for the disseminating of information between policy makers and the general public. This is true as being the media is expected to ensure that citizens are well informed to make responsible decisions, as well as serves as being a watchdog on elected officials to make sure they live up to their duties. In essence the media serves like a tool for citizens both to debate with each other and to express concerns to those in authority.

In an ideal world, the media plays a terribly active and powerful role in making policy. The reason why the media is and has become so powerful is because it has the facility to frame issues of domestic and foreign politics in countries everywhere, which has earned them the title of the ‘fourth estate’. Further consultation when using the literature (Boaz, 2005), illustrates that the representation of issues in the media exerts an independent effect on the public’s opinion. One situation in which this relationship is often seen is war. The question then arises how do the media influence a population’s thoughts and opinions? Well, this is done through the (process of framing and agenda setting); but the media are also vulnerable to manipulations by some sects of a population as being a tool of propaganda.

Framing and agenda setting are primary devices by which the media shape public thoughts and opinions and the public agenda. It refers to the way specific events and issues are organized and made sense of by those in charge with the media. Identifying media frames is somewhat important in understanding how community view is shaped, since the way information is structured affects the way folk process it, and ultimately it affects the meaning women and men derive from that information. So take for example, how were Americans persuaded to support the invasion of Iraq in 2003 when citizens elsewhere were not? The fact is that the public’s judgment on foreign policy and other issues whether they are national security or not is directly related to the media’s ability in producing naturalizing violence and creating the perception of natural and global insecurity. Therefore, the type of media information to which different countries’ citizens have access to is directly linked to community support for say, a war in Iraq.

Where do you turn to for information or news about current events? A question asked by (Turow 2009). It is amazing, because it make you think, can we really trust some of these well-known news sources to provide us with credible information. One illustration professional-writings com that many of us can associate with is with the context within the war in Iraq. Quite evidently the media did play a remarkably important role in this regard. (Turow, 2009) highlights the point that mainstream media did support the government’s 2003 judgement to go to war, this was through the constant circulation of pro-war arguments. In other words the ‘power in the press’ was overwhelmingly evident at that time. In any case, the media influences the belief of its audiences that will in turn influence a government’s position to the problem.