Many people rely on the media for their information daily. The media controls what the viewers watch and learn by broadcasting only what benefits their political views. A consequence of this is that the viewers will likely adopt these views. A for-profit corporation setting the public agenda could be dangerous as the corporation could potentially misinform the population for money. Greed is the root of all evil.
The media sometimes influences public opinion by reporting public opinion. One of my mom's favorite stories involves the first election she planned to vote. She had never been politically active, and my father had finally talked her into it. On the way to the polling place, the results were announced. At least that's the way she tells it. They lived in California, so what she heard was actually the eastern poll projections. Still, she never voted again.
