Media have huge impact on culture. The mass media are cultural institutions that both reflect and affect the society in which they operate. Medium is the message. Filters include personal variables, such as family background, interests, education, etc. Selective perception, selective retention.
Average adult spends half of waking hours with the media.
Media blamed for society's problems. Media as education. Information, persuasion, education. Pure information has no bias. Pure persuasion is all bias.