Informowanie społeczeństwa i kształtowanie opinii na temat działalności instytucji władzy

The media is one of the most important sources of political information, as well as one of the main actors shaping and supporting public discourse in a democratic society. From the normative perspective, the most fundamental democratic value of the media is to facilitate the development of independent and open viewpoint in society by providing citizens with information on the issues of public concern, and controlling those who are in power to make the decisions of public importance. Corruption scandals, misuse of power, mixing of public and private interests and other negative news encourage public disappointment with the authorities and citizens’ detachment from the political life. At the same time, this leads to public distrust in media and information they contain. The article addresses the role of the media in shaping public opinion on political elite and institutions on the local and national level. Based on the quantitative and qualitative data, it discusses the relationship between public awareness and political participation.