The Media; Broadcasts or Brainwashes?

 Agenda setting.  A topic which very clearly links to the previous lectures topic of news values. Agenda setting can at its most basic be defined as the social construction of reality. Everyone is aware that the media manipulates the public’s perception of reality, only providing the public with news they want them to see. Prior to this lecture I was unaware as to the extent to which the media is able to control and in effect brainwash the public, without them being fully aware of it.  The exposure or lack of exposure on a story manipulates the public into what they believe to be the most important or least important news. I particularly loved the hypodermic needle model, which I have shown below, as I believe it truly captures the true power and control the media can at times have over the public.