Curiosity: What you say changes me; what somebody else says in a public forum changes many people. As long as we are listening, we are changed by most of the messages we recieve. Does that mean I can control people with my message? Open question.
Tyrants and warmongers can whip their populations into a bloodthirsty frenzy: but the audience had to be willing to go there in the first place. History has too many examples of this for this claim to be untrue.
Smart reporters know they might have a great deal of influence but very little power.
Pangloss.
Pangloss
Interesting answer thank you.
I believe the press can whip populations into a bloodthirsty frenzy as well.
For some strange reason we believe the voice or print delivering the message and never question the source of the message, to what degree of accuracy it is reported and how much "grab" the piece was given.
Frighteningly I think the press has a great deal of power because it is easily accessed and people are basically lazy in the area of doing their own homework.
Question: If you prefer to reserve an answer I will understand but I often ask it of press people.
"Would you knowingly print or read an untruth for whatever rationale you excused yourself in so doing?"