ABSTRACT
Perception, that is, the inner conviction that everyone has of the reality that surrounds them, is extremely important. Behaviour, choices and actions stem from it; on a much larger scale, social orientation, the acceptance or rejection of a political system, laws and customs, are determined by it. Inequality is a chronic condition of society which has always been sedated by careful persuasion to view it as something 'natural' and 'necessary'. In a democratic society, the media tend to give an understanding of reality rather than simply inform about the facts, since knowledge, in itself, is a neutral, impersonal set of data, which can be stored and distributed by any information service or database. Understanding involves a process of self-awareness that a machine cannot have and that goes far beyond the acquisition of data and how they are linked. Thus, perception follows understanding and becomes a guide in the subsequent decisions regarding private and public behaviour.
