Running Head: Religion Culture Key Topics Written Assignment Week 1 1
Religion Culture Key Topics
Mainstream Media Authority and Public Opinion
Benjamin Thomas Oppold
Regis University
For nearly a century in the United States people got most of their information about
politics and culture from the radio and television. Unfortunately along with these means to
Running Head: Religion Culture Key Topics Written Assignment Week 1 2
spread information institutions, special interests and ideology found their ways once more into
the public eye. Everyone has their inherent biases, but even so, with evidence, sources and
credibility propositions made are still proveable. The great thing about today is our ability to
cross reference and source facts has been greatly improved with the development of the World
Wide Web. This new age is beginning to show us how we are manipulated and deceived into
believing things that are simply not true. The power of media to influence culture, religion,
politics and public opinion is now being revealed.
One of the most notable and documented cases of media influence that has happened in
the 21st century was the public perception on terrorism. It was first released and promoted by
George W Bush that Iraq and Saddam Hussein were developing and using weapons of mass
destruction.
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Departments and agencies like the DOD and CIA released statements supporting
this claim. The media then picked this up, this was conveniently not to long after September 11
2001. Americans at this time were frustrated and scared this helped the administration to start the
