SummaryIn our democratic society, mass media are the driving force of public opinion. Media sources such as the Internet, newspapers, television news, etc. play an important role in shaping a person's understanding and perception of events occurring in our daily lives. As long as newspapers, the Internet, television networks, etc. will remain easily accessible to the public, the media will continue to influence their opinions. Factors such as agenda setting, framing, and priming help shape public opinion. Agenda setting involves the media focusing attention on selected issues on which the public will form an opinion, while framing allows the media to select certain aspects of the issue and then make them more salient. Similarly, priming works by repeatedly exposing certain issues to the audience. As problems become more visible, the individual will be more likely to remember or retain the information in their mind. This article will discuss these three factors systemically played out by the media and how our opinions are constantly influenced and shaped by them. How the Media Influences Public Opinion In our democratic society, mass media are the driving force of public opinion. Media sources such as the Internet, newspapers, television news, etc. play an important role in shaping a person's understanding and perception of events occurring in our daily lives. But what influence do the media have on our opinion? Guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, the media will always be there to inform us of different events or topics that they deem important to the public. The media constantly bombards us with news, advertisements, etc., where...... in the middle of the newspaper...... r attention to selected issues on which the public will form an opinion (McCombs) . Framing is an important factor in allowing the media to select certain aspects of the issue and then make them appear more prominent in the text, resulting in an improved meaning or interpretation of the situation (Scheufele). Last but not least, priming also played an important role in shaping public opinion. Priming works to the extent that the media repeatedly exposes certain issues to the public. The more exposure an issue has, the more likely a person is to remember or retain the information in their mind. With these three factors systemically played out by the media, our opinions are constantly influenced and shaped by them. As Walter Lippman says, “What we know about the world is largely based on what the media chooses to tell us” (McCombs).