The media aims to communicate with many people at once, which is called mass communication. Examples of mass media are TV, radio, newspapers, the internet, social media. A wide reach enables the media to shape public opinion, which allows them to influence public policy. The media influences public opinion in several ways.

Influence #1- Focusing public attention on selected issues

Media attention brings exposure and attention to issues. The issues that don’t get a lot of media attention often fade from the public agenda. Public concern of those issues puts pressure on government officials to address the issues. Examples of this exposure are the opioid crisis, immigration, vaping, and school shootings.

Influence #2- Offering a forum for expressing opposing views

The media provides a way for people to discuss all sides of an issue. Examples of this would be letters to the editor & opinion pieces in newspapers and magazines, visitor posts on websites & social media, and interviews with people holding different opinions on TV shows.

Influence #3- Holding government officials accountable to the public

The media covers government officials by reporting on their actions & voting records and by investigating and/or exposing wrong-doing. The hope is that the public spotlight will keep government officials honest because they can be voted out of office if the public disapproves of their actions. An example of this would be the Pentagon Papers in the early 1970s, which revealed that the US Defense Department and several presidential administrations had misled the public and even Congress about the level of military involvement in Vietnam for over 20 years.

Influence #4- Enabling government officials to communicate with the public

Government officials use the media to shape public opinion in several ways. One way is by expressing their views to the public through speeches, TV/media appearances (like Fireside Chats with Frankln D. Roosevelt) and interviews that the media reports on. Another way is through publishing website content, social media posts, and press releases used to try to gather public support for their policies. Government officials can also monitor the media for insight of public opinion on the issues, such as conducting polls to gain insight on the public response to certain issues.

Interest groups are made up of people who share a particular interest or point of view on a topic. Examples of interest groups include industries such as automakers, gun manufacturers, tobacco companies, and oil companies; labor unions; professionals like doctors, lawyers, and teachers; retired people; and rights/liberties groups.

The goal of interest groups is to influence government officials to make public policy decisions favorable to their interests in three main ways. The first way is by identifying issues, then promoting their cause by drawing media attention and providing data to lawmakers that support their cause.

The second way is through making political contributions, or giving money to the campaigns of government officials who are in a position to support their cause.

The last way is by lobbying, or attempting to influence the decisions of government officials, by trying to persuade them introduce a bill or vote for or against a bill.

Individuals can influence public policy in several ways. One way is to participate in politics by voting, volunteering for campaigns, or seeking office.

Individuals can also influence public policy by expressing opinions. This can be done by communicating with government officials, demonstrating or protesting, or lobbying officials.

Individuals can also join interest groups. By becoming an active member, giving money to groups that represent the same views, and working with the group, individuals can have an influence on public policy.

Diseases can be carried across & around continents by humans, food, or even animals, and can turn into pandemics (a rapidly spreading disease), which prompts policy decisions from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) & the VA Dept. of Health, such as identifying symptoms, monitoring health risks, issuing travel advisories (advising caution while traveling to certain areas), offering vaccines (flu shots, MMR shots, meningitis shots, etc.), and providing tips for the public (wash hands, avoid contact with certain things, etc.).

Those in the US with symptoms of or a confirmed case of a highly contagious disease may be quarantined, or isolated from the general population.

Examples of past public health issues include the West Nile and Zika viruses, which mosquitoes have carried to the United States, Influenza (the flu), which kills thousands in the US each year, and the Ebola virus breakout in 2014, in which 11 people were infected & it could be traced back to a person arriving in the US from Liberia.

All levels of government are involved in preparation for a possible act of terrorism, most of which were implemented after the 9/11 terror attacks. At the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security uses 4 categories of alerts ("baseline", "elevated", "intermediate", and "imminent“) to advise state/local governments and the public about the current risk of threats.

If the threat risk is “elevated”, the Virginia Office of Commonwealth Preparedness is contacted by the DHS to take action and local governments may identify possible terror suspects, inspect buildings for suspicious packages, and develop groups of trained volunteers.

If the threat risk is “imminent”, local governments can deny access to critical facilities, inspect vehicles in parking lots, assemble emergency teams, and carry out mutual aid plans with nearby localities.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management has divided the state into 7 emergency management regions, each with a coordinator, who help local governments develop & organize emergency responses in the event of a terror attack.

All levels of government have made policy decisions in preparation for environmental protection. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) & the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality work with local governments to protect wildlife, air quality & water quality.

Some examples of incidents that the EPA and the VDEQ would respond to might include winds spreading volcanic ash across the globe, acid rain produced by gases from other countries, or oil spills in the Atlantic Ocean.

If animal populations becoming threatened, the hunting of those animals may be outlawed, and if air or water pollution is being caused by businesses, the EPA may issue regulations limiting the types & amounts of chemicals businesses can release into the air.

Virginia’s government has designated several state agencies responsible for responding in case of emergency.

The Virginia State Police investigates threats, provides security at important facilities, and protects public safety in the state, such as Amber alerts for missing children and searches for suspects of violent crimes that are on the run.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Protections protects livestock and crops and ensures customer safety by monitoring the food supply by regulating against certain pesticides on crops & what can be fed to livestock.

The Virginia National Guard can be called in to help with emergency & natural disasters like floods and hurricanes.