As a sociology major, I would definitely argue that public opinion is constructed by structures within our social, political and cultural lives. An entity that is a product of the ideas constructed in these larger structures is mass media, whether that be films, news broadcasts, newspapers, online magazines, or personal blogs. As discussed in class, a recent example of this in US media is the medias construction of fear. Whether it is anthrax, SARS, Y2K, or todays terror level, US citizens have the tendency to always have something to be afraid, and the media is the place in which people citizens receive this information.
US citizens are more concerned with being killed in a terrorist attack then in a road accident (which occur more often) because they are not as frequently bombarded with issues in the news on drunk driving, drivers on drugs, road rage, or cell phone use while driving, among other modern road safety issues. I would argue that this exists because there aren't any major political leaders with a stake issues related to the road safety industry. I think that those in power in our society have the ability to express their agenda and political goals, and one of the most power outlets for them to take advantage of is the media.
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