Media has a pervasive presence in our lives, and reliable sources of information are crucial for society. However, media barons are believed to have significant influence over public opinion, and this is unlikely to change. This essay fully agrees with this point of view, as owners of the media have all the resources to spread their agenda among the mass public, and ordinary citizens do not posses enough leverage to make changes.
Newspapers, radio, and television channels are all owned by wealthy and powerful people and institutions that can popularise their opinions and attitudes among the mass public. Simply put, editors are under pressure, as stakeholders dictate what ought to be published or broadcast in their favour.
For instance, if a newspaper is owned by the incumbent government, it will try to persuade its readers that the opposition is flawed and impotent.
Nevertheless, technological breakthroughs and the development of IT have provided us with new sources of information, such as social media, and now anyone is able to share the news, not only the rich and almighty. Thoughvthe Internet and the diversity of the media might be expected to be a game changer, most people still prefer traditional media and trust influential newsmakers. Moreover, even independent journalists can be biased or share distorted news on their blogs. To support this, one of the most relevant problems of the present day is fake news. With the surge of social media, more regular users started sharing fake news with their followers. For example, misleading information concerning vaccines made many people believe in their harmful effects and discouraged them from vaccination during the Covid pandemic.
In conclusion, the media is a lever used by stakeholders to promote their ideas among the mass public. Furthermore, this situation cannot be altered, even by the most progressive technology and diversity of the media.