The media are enormously influential at shaping the public's thinking about the government. By media, we include newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet. Because the Internet is such a dominant and pervasive force in 2020, we can assume that the importance and influence of media is greater than it ever has been.

In the late-nineteenth century, "yellow journalism" began and it may have made public opinion favor war with Spain. Specifically, Spanish actions in Cuba were reported as atrocities, and war with Spain broke out in 1895. A century later, the media contributed to the public's support for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Very few American journalists challenged the government's spurious assertions on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction or its links to 9/11. Indeed, the media have a powerful role in shaping public opinion on all-important questions of war and peace.

President Franklin Roosevelt used the media, specifically radio, in his "fireside chats." He led the nation through two of its greatest crises—the Great Depression and World War II—and his radio talks with the American public contributed to his success in becoming one of the greatest and most important presidents.

Later, presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan used television to their advantage. Both men looked great on the small screen, and they both did well in televised debates during presidential campaigns.

Today, fewer people read newspapers and magazines, so radio and television are paramount. Unfortunately, many Americans rely on just their favorite station or channel for their news and information.

Although the media are more important than ever in shaping public opinion, the average person is not necessarily better informed today than fifty or one hundred years ago. Gore Vidal famously said: "Fifty percent of people won't vote, and fifty percent don't read newspapers. I hope it's the same fifty percent."