What are the influence on people from the gossip of mass media?

Question

What are the influence on people from the gossip of mass media?

Answer 1

This question opens a big can of worms.

People are being scared every day and in so many ways.  

People are willing to believe that a war is going on.  When I have heard no evidence of weapons of any kind in Iraq.  

People are lead to believe forfeting our right to privacy will protect us from terrorist.  What if the terrorist are the same as the people now legally intercepting our information. What if this information is being used to terrorize anyone smart enough to expose our own governments short comings or criminal activity.

People have been almost tricked in to believing the price of gas has something to do with supply and demand when investigations have revealed it is the Oil STock holders and brokers and speculators.

People are currently being led to believe the foreclosures are caused by ignorant people when actually it has been caused by deregulation of mortgage and banks.  They profit from the foreclosures both the banks and government taking ownership after depleting the homeowner of equity and resell as well as government backed mortgage paid off by government.

People still believe insurance is insurance when actually they only product they produce is profits for stock holders.

This can of worms is endless.