It is important to note at this point that to use a critical approach is not necessarily to criticize. The critical approach calls into question existing myths, stereotypes, and official dogma . Often we hear the charge of BIAS directed only against research that finds fault with the system on behalf of the powerless. D. Public Opinion and the Media. People in power control the mass media and, therefor, control public opinion.
Problems arise when the powerful, through the mass media, set the agenda.
The media may over look conditions that are detrimental to the relatively powerless segments of society. Attention may be diverted to specific social instances and away from the cause of many social problems. There is a tendency to focus on the characteristics of individuals. We study the criminal instead of the law or the prison system that tends to perpetuate crime. We explore the culture of the poor rather than characteristics of the rich.