For example, in The Stranger the reporters present at the trial of Meursault explained quite explicitly that they sensationalized his story so that they would have readers (Camus 84). Fahrenheit 451 contains a scene in which the firemen are chasing after Guy (Bradbury 121-49). The people in Fahrenheit 451 became actively involved in the search as they watched from there parlors. Though they never actually catch the real Guy Montag, the firemen and news crews lie and say that they have caught him. They give the viewers what they want. They give them what is exciting to them. They found it entertaining. This is exactly what the media wanted. They wanted to keep the viewers attention so the firemen found some random man and pick him as the new Guy Montag. The people in 451 did not know that the government lied to them and really, they could care less. They were being entertained and that is all that concerned them. They were entertained and, thus, the story sold. .
Just as entertainment plays a key role in media alteration, politics and image are variables that can cause the same manipulation. "Politicians seek to shape and benefit from public opinion and maintain public attention and influence" (Balkin 2). Jack Balkin, professor at Yale University, explains an alternate reason for why media is changed and manipulated. It helps a public figure form his or her image. In publicly aired debates and speeches, individuals will " divert attention from information that is detrimental to their interests" (Balkin 2). In other words, politicians distract the public from any negatives to keep them from the public eye. Anything good is glorified to make the person seem godly. For example, in 1984, the telescreens are constantly spewing out informational statistics. This directly relates to the way in which Big Brother's runs the country. Many facts are altered from the production statistics (Orwell 37) to the complete removal of events (Orwell 68).