Prompt: The mass media, including television, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people's ideas. Ċ To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Several means of communication, such as television and the papers, are believed to impact people’s perspectives about the world. Personally, I completely agree with this view. Ċ It is true that people have a tendency to believe in what they see and hear, and mass media are what they encounter on a daily basis. To a certain extent, people entrust these outlets for learning about what is happening around them given the fact that all news being reported have to go through intense scrutiny and rigorous editing process. Therefore, as the observer and reporter of the truth, mass media has earned people trust and, as a result, shaped the way people perceive all day-to-day matters. For instance, the ubiquitous presence of bad news has created a moody and gloomy atmosphere amongst readers, some of whom are left with a pessimistic outlook onto the world. Ċ On the other hand, people’s points of view about certain subjects are greatly altered by what they are presented either on TV or in the newspaper. In other words, authors’ bias and prejudice being expressed in the articles have an enormous impact on people’s opinions. For example, a change in voting decision or favoured political party can occur after once a person finishes a piece of news about his or her favourite politician’s opponents, or a desire vegetarianism could be triggered by an article written by an avid eco-warrior or an animal fighter. Ċ In conclusion, mass media has an influence on a person’s attitudes and behaviours about life both for better and for worse. Whatever the impact, these platforms of communication have been doing a great job in informing and educating people about the world in which they are living.