How much does the mass media influence our beliefs?

For instance, I was born after WWII. Those in my family who were vets of that war never told me stories about it.

Like many other Americans, I saw movies and TV shows about it, read books and stories about it. I got the perception that WWII was a “good” war; that all the American soldiers were heroic and those on the Home Front were noble and quite willing to make any sacrifices for the war. That all the young men coming of age were just gung-ho to enlist, to lie about their age if necessary and go over and fight the Japanese or the Germans.

Of course, I realize now that it wasn’t that black-and-white, and that while most young men were willing to go into the military, probably few of them were eager to do so.

My point is not how good/bad WWII was, or necessarily anything relating to that war. It’s how much of our perceptions are almost totally formed by the mass media.

It more directly affects our behavior

And how the media reports on what cheapest and in the interest of the Corp.!!!