The media have succeeded in putting out a complete view of the public. This has happened because there is no principled representation in sampling public opinion. The questions used to seek the opinion are too difficult, and people end up giving wrong answers while some decline to answer. Language in the questions is often complicated while the answers are not grouped correctly. The media end up getting wrong views of the public and once they broadcast and publish it, the public nods to the information since they believe those are their views and concerns. The media have the upper hand in the influence of the public opinion.
The constitution has its mandate being a government policy, which is not agreeing to what everyone else has to say, but listens to the few privileged in politics. The media occasionally sample public opinion and by having their different views help to reduce disagreements. The government officials have conflicts with the media owing to the private ownership of media outlets and their right to self-rule. Income demands have contributed to the increasing number of media outlets, and this has left them competing for viewers, a situation which leaves them no option but to broadcast what is left of public interest. When it comes to opinion, the public is ignorant and lacks interest in politics. The poll questions appearance influences the responses, and the opinion itself is not reliable.
The media’s role as a watchdog is to give people information. It holds everyone powerful accountable for their actions, criticizes, investigates and exposes scandals around people and organizations. An example is the Washington’s post that exposed the Watergate scandal in 1970 elections that made President Richard Nixon resign. The media’s role as a gatekeeper is to sort and filter all information being broadcast or published in any medium. The media decide on what stories to broadcast and for how long it should be done. An example is the murder of an abortion doctor in the June 1 and 2, 2009 Nation Digest. The media’s role as agenda setter is to inform people on essential issues that concern them. An example is the McCombs and Shaw investigations of the presidential campaigns in 1968,1972, and 1976. The watchdog function is sometimes biased especially in political scenarios where the journalists take sides and fail to do their full watchdog duty as required.
The expansion of technology has strengthened the influence of the media on people as evident in the DC Foster care Washington post about careless deaths of innocent children that was exposed and changed the whole local government mismanagement. In the tobacco struggle, the media exposes the dangers associated with cigarette smoking while the tobacco company is making profits, not exposing the dangers and risks of smoking. The media are shown to have successfully fought the tobacco war with David Kessler and FDA. The September 11, 2001 event made the government consider the issue of screening for weapons and other security risks in the airports, out of which airport security increased.
A good outcome of media services is that they have ensured the voice of the people is heard. The media have also ensured democracy is exercised. It also makes communication efficient from the government to the people and vice versa. A negative outcome of the media is that it interferes with people’s privacy when trying to search for information.