Media shaping the public’s agenda of issues

The mass media plays a major role in shaping the general public’s agenda of issues. The stories that the mass media decide to report on directly correlate with which news stories/issues the general public receives. The issues that they focus on and do in-depth research on are the ones that the mass audience will also focus on and be concerned with. The media tends to scan the domestic and international fronts to find the stories/issues that they feel will most interest us and be of the most benefit to us. If a particular news station devotes most of its research and news coverage to political news/issues and sets its agenda as such, then its audience will be more informed about politics. The mass audience can pick and choose which news station/show fulfills their needs the most and will tend to stay with that choice. When most of the media is focused on one particular issue in the news then that news issue must be something very important and will capture the attention of the mass audience quickly. In this respect the mass media is setting the tone of what we feel is important in the world today. Mass media fulfills an important role in keeping the mass audiences informed so we can make educated decisions about our lives.