There is a popular belief that TV and the internet controls people’s minds, and, therefore, individuals who control these sources of information have power over the masses. Although I mostly agree with this view, there are several crucial exceptions.
In the modern world for almost every human being, televisions and phones have become a part of daily routine. People speak, work and get information via internet. Therefore, there is no surprise that people think about this sources of information as trustworthy. Moreover, despite people’s understanding that not everything they hear or read is true, a lot of them still tend to believe every single word. For instance, when they hear something that in the other context might sound ridiculous, but since it was said on the first channel it must be true. Another key feature is that the purpose of the news sometimes is to cause a specific reaction, rather than to deceive the audience. For instance, in the film “Wag the Dog”, where, in order to distract masses from the sexual scandal with the president, fictional war was created via tools of propaganda.
However, sometimes even control over the media does not help to control people, since they still communicate out of the Internet. This can be easily seen in the examples of twenty first century rebellions or protests, as it happened in India, where riots broke out due to the fact that the government blocked a significant part of the social media.
In conclusion, it is true that whoever has power over the media may affect masses beliefs, actions and emotions. However, it is important to note that there is no absolute control via this tool.