Medialny obraz rzeczywistości

Empirical research conducted over decades has proven unequivocally that the media affects its audience. Depending on the decade and the existing paradigm, a broader or narrower scope for potential impact is indicated.The author presents selected results of research on the agenda‑settingand framingprocess as well as the characteristics of both phenomena in order to find out whether the mechanisms behind them should be considered in the manipulation category. Nowadays, in the age of rapid development of „new” media, especiallysocial media platforms, individuals are no longer merely passive users but canact as an active sender. This causes the impact of the media to appear distracted.The purpose of this article is also an attempt to answer the question of what roletraditional media plays today and whether their role in setting up the thematic agenda has changed significantly.