Inventing reality: The politics of the mass media by Michael Parenti

It was never clearer than in the age of Reagan that the mass media have a powerful effect on American political attitudes. In this passionate, controversial critique of the media, Michael Parenti examines the subtle but profound ways in which the media influence and manipulate the public's perception of reality. It attacks the widely held view that the media are controlled by liberals and liberal opinion and clearly depicts the media as a controlling institution of the American capitalist system, an institution that serves the interests of the rich and powerful while appearing to serve the many.