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At the dawn of political theory it was standard to begin with the premise that the masses were unable to lead. They were uniformed, most likely stupid, and lacked the skills and time to even ponder questions of politics. Authority was divinely granted to those with the wisdom to lead. The ruling class separated itself from the masses, lead in its own interest, and was hardly held accountable. Even in ancient Athens, the birthplace of classical democracy, the demos, or citizens of the polis, were seen by most philosophers as dangerous. It would not be till the rise of liberal democracy that this basic premise would face attack. But if power is to be put in the hands of the people than one must believe that the people are able to correctly exercise it. Democracy requires informed and politically literate citizens who can make decisions for themselves. A self-governing, democratic society, by definition then, rests solely on the open exchange of views and information. .
In today's world this duty rests on the shoulders of the mass media. The importance of this function cannot be understated. Today's media is responsible for many of the observations and experiences from which we build our personal understanding of our world and how it works. Most of our views and opinions are based on media messages. The mass media brings us images of wars, famines, elections, and other events "some in our backyard, but most far away. We rely on it like no other institution, and yet its ability to inform us impartially needs to be questioned. One should not blindly accept the myth that what the media provides us is purely "reality,"" especially when it comes to the mass media and politics. .
Evidence to the politicly skewed nature of political media can be seen since the very beginning of printed word, but is most easily shown in the newspapers and pamphlets of colonial America and the early United States.