Journalism and power

The media are instruments for informing and being informed: mediators, spokespeople and interpreters of a reality that, in turn, is lived and interpreted differently by their audiences. Out of everything that supposedly «happens in the world», journalists select, reproduce, investigate, present, comment on, evaluate, advocate for and interpret. And the «clients»—all of us—either allow ourselves to be «seduced» or turn away. In the end, it is the client who decides. The author is categorical in stating that news media DO NOT determine people’s opinions. One thing is to make something known—the true service of journalism—and another is to create an opinion. The media do help reinforce opinions to the extent that they present and clarify viewpoints that align with the position of the message recipient. Obviously, by providing information that citizens would otherwise lack, the media help people nuance their opinions, which are based on a multitude of variables: origins, family, class, environment, school, religion, personal development, friendships, conditions, situations and social and political dynamics, among others. That is why, when people do turn to the media, they seek out the outlet most in line with their convictions. And in this context, the concept defined by the author of «voluntary disinformation» is key to understanding her theory about media effects. People live with the media, but act according to a blend of factors, among which the media are just one—especially in the midst of the social media frenzy. Citizens turn to the media seeking information, but to a large extent, they do so to reaffirm their own way of thinking.