ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the mass media as it pertains to public opinion. Initially, the chapter presents the history of mass media from the first days of newspapers with a mass readership in the early nineteenth century to the twenty-first century’s reliance on the Internet and social media. The decline in newspaper readership is chronicled. The chapter discusses possible biases in the media and the effectiveness of media at influencing public opinion. Also discussed is the influence of political advertising, particular as it emanates from television. An important topic is the role of ideological cable news shows and the Internet as a mechanism whereby people can choose the political news that fits their ideological taste.
