"Mass" media rings true. Thousands of forms of media are thrown at us everyday. Whether we listen or not the information being sent to us is unconsciously read by our brains. This information may be appealing because the advertisers try to send the message across with an emotional appeal to the senses while masking the true meaning. Advertisers will do anything to hook us and emotional messages seem to work the best.
The problem is, who runs the media? You guessed it, the concentrated corporations. Therefore the interests are in favor of business and money. To often consumers fall into the misleading trap of mis conception of advertising. They aren't telling us what to think, but they are telling us what to think about and that's a scary thought.