If you're interested in learning more about media manipulation, I highly recommend reading the book Trust Me, I'm Lying [1]. It's shocking how easy it is to sway public opinion or plant fake stories that could have a national impact.
> It's shocking how easy it is to sway public opinion or plant fake stories that could have a national impact.
If you want a specific example, just read about Nayirah's testimony. How the Bush government, Kuwaiti diplomats and a well placed PR firm along with collusion by news/media used an outright lie to sway the public into supporting war. Nobody was prosecuted for this, nobody went to jail.
If you want a second example, go read about the yellowcake propaganda based on forged documents, by once again a bush government and well placed PR firms along with collusion by news/media to use another outright lie to sway the public into supporting war. Nobody was prosecuted for this, nobody went to jail.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_Me,_I%27m_Lying