I've always thought mass media was a powerful political force that has a significant impact on the way democracies work; I think you're right, the media has a big effect on how people perceive the world around them. It's difficult to consider the US media, despite mergers and acquisitions, as any completely unified force, but when wielded as an ideological tool, I've always wondered how far can mass media control public opinions like that? I know there's no way to test it on a large scale in any purely scientific sense, but I'd think it's fairly significant. I also wonder how the internet and social media is affecting traditional mass media. Regardless, I think it comes as a natural response to peek/look/investigate at these revelations and reaffirm one's preexisting opinions about the issue, although I'd imagine that comes easier for some people than others.
Thanks for the book recommendation, that looks just down my alley; I'll definitely check it out! I was curious, what do you think of Udo Ulfkotte's new book Gekaufte Journalisten? I've got to wait for the English translation, so all that I know about it is just bits and pieces from around the internet.
I'm not sure whether to be flattered or terrified that you think I've even heard of it. I have an inch-deep level of knowledge about a lot of things; if it's mostly been covered in the foreign press, I'm woefully ignorant of it. But now I've got my eye on it, dammit.