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. The latest presidential elections were no exception. The presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was one of the most passionate in our nation's history, leaving voters of all demographics with a passionate opinion of some kind. Depending on individual opinions about each candidate, people were left ecstatic, angry, scared, or anything in between. Thanks to the media bias of American journalism, the opinions of the general public were more easily manipulated. Two of the main media theories used for this purpose have been agenda setting theory and media logic. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It's no secret that most major American news sources demonstrate some form of political bias. For example, CNN clearly demonstrates favoritism toward liberals, while Fox News leans more toward conservative ideas. Because of the biased opinions that many mainstream media outlets hold, this makes politics a lot more fun for the American people than it should be. They clearly respect their own political ideologies. This can be noticed by the way anchors, interviewers and other news personnel articulate themselves while on air. This is a clear example of agenda setting theory. When journalistic sources report according to their own beliefs, they also try to influence other parties (Altheide). This is exactly what agenda setting theory is. While this is considered unethical in journalism terms, it is unfortunately a practice that many journalists and news media can get away with. It's about using the right words to make your own biases more well hidden in order to influence third parties, who are also influenced by the political figures and ideas that these media outlets support (or oppose). Such parties may include external organizations, individual citizens as well as the general population, and political figures themselves. One example that stands out the most has been recurring, especially in the early stages of the elections. The example I'm talking about is the constant banter of mutual disdain between President-elect Donald Trump and Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly. Kelly clearly had disgust with Trump and never stopped taking the opportunity to bash him. Likewise, Mr. Trump would typically respond with some sort of condescending, politically incorrect remark. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay After the First Couple In many cases, it was clear that Ms. Kelly was clearly trying to get a lift from Mr. Trump. He seemed to know that he would lose his temper and react in ways that would hurt his own image. No one knows why a journalist from a conservative news outlet would do this to a candidate of his own political interest. What can be deduced, however, is that this was clearly the direction Fox intended to take. Even in these cases the logic of the media was demonstrated. Americans digest news more effectively if it is entertaining and in line with their beliefs (Brown and Deegan). Although argumentative rhetoric can hardly be.