The Mass Media is a unique feature of modern society; its development has accompanied an increase in the magnitude and complexity of societal actions and engagements, rapid social change, technological innovation, rising personal income and standard of life and the decline of some traditional forms of control and authority. The media does influence, but using more diverse and subtle roles of impact. Some theorists suggest that it is even a case of society influencing the media and not the more widespread and presumed version. .

             Media is a major piece within society that is often linked to the notion of social influence. Society understands the notion or concept of being influenced as an "external force" (the media) linking itself or connecting with a personal action or viewpoint of the recipient. .

             Construction of the news is another way in which the mass media can have an influence over the masses. Through the placement of certain aspects of, for example, a news feature or the selective process made by editors it preserves the notion of media influence continually. Television and print based news, due primarily to their fixation with crime and violence arguably has a pessimistic impact upon our societal behaviour. The news can be described as being an oxymoron; giving us the skin of the truth stuffed with a lie. I personally do not concur with this as I consider that generally news does not lie, except it does not inform the audience of the entire truth by omitting the less interesting and dramatic parts. A news program is primarily focused on the facts, but for the purposes of television and the print based media they tend to emphasise on the dramatic, generally violent stories and images to capture and sustain its audience, under the facade of keeping it informed. The media"s influence through the news is that it affects the public both consciously and subconsciously, and in some cases sends us about our lives unnecessarily fearing the remote dangers that we see excessively portrayed in the news.