1. On page 248 of Government in America, the authors state that...

1. On page 248 of Government in America, the authors state that "When presidents, legislators, and interest groups - as well as news organizations - are all discussing an issue, it is not easy to isolate the opinion changes that come from political leadership from those that come from the news. Moreover, the effect of one news story on public opinion may be trivial but the cumulative effect of dozens of news stories may be important." With this statement as a starting point, discuss what you believe to be the impact of contemporary mass media (both print and electronic, including the Internet) on public opinion. Consider the impact of the news media in shaping the opinion of the public at large as well as particular groups. Also compare the influence of the news media with the influence of political leaders and other entities that we have studied like interest groups. This is a wide open question so discuss it any way you like, but be sure to cover all parts of the question.