The American media is probably one of the most influential means of determining public opinion. This can be said for a variety of different topics, from entertainment to politics. This last presidential election was no exception. The presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was one of the most heated in our nation's history, leaving voters of all stripes with passionate opinions. Depending on individual opinions about each candidate, people were either ecstatic, enraged, scared, or something in between. Thanks to the media bias of American journalism, the opinions of the general public have been more easily manipulated. Two of the main media theories used for this purpose were agenda setting theory as well as media logic. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay It's no secret that the majority of America's top news sources exhibit some form of political bias. For example, CNN clearly demonstrates favoritism toward liberals while Fox News leans more toward conservative ideas. Due to the biased views that many mainstream news media hold, politics is far more entertaining than it should be to the American people. They clearly respect their own political ideologies. This can be noticed by the way presenters, interviewers and other journalists speak when they are on air. This is a clear example of agenda setting theory. When news sources report according to their own beliefs, they also strive to influence other parties (Altheide). This is precisely what agenda-setting theory is. Although this is considered unethical in terms of journalism, it is unfortunately a practice that many journalists and news media outlets are allowed to engage in. It's about using the right words to better hide their bias in order to influence third parties, who are also affected by the political figures and ideas that these media support (or oppose). These parties may include external organizations, individual citizens as a general population, and political figures themselves. One of the most striking examples is recurring, particularly at the start of elections. The example I'm talking about is the constant, mutually dismissive banter between President-elect Donald Trump and Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly. Kelly clearly had disgust with Trump and never stopped using the opportunity to denigrate him. Likewise, Mr. Trump would typically respond with some sort of condescending, politically incorrect remark. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay After the First Couples In many cases, it was evident that Ms. Kelly was clearly trying to anger Mr. Trump. She seemed to know that he would lose his temper and react in a way that would damage his own image. No one knows why a reporter from a conservative-biased news source would do this to a candidate advocating for his own political interests. What can be inferred, however, is that this was clearly the direction Fox intended to take. Media logic has also been demonstrated in these cases. Americans digest their food more efficiently.