How much does the media influence the electorate?

We're all familiar with polls. They're usually done with a sampling of a few hundred people up to a few thousand at the most. Most of us are aware of how easy it is to word a question in such a way as to elicit the particular response desired by the entity paying the pollster. Even live polling of focus groups are manipulated right in front of us, but many are fooled into believe these are more trustworthy than telephone polls reported as statistics, which can in and of themselves be manipulated to show a pre-determined response. I used to think that Frank Luntz was great at questioning focus groups and analyzing the results on FOX News. Then I came across a video of him explaining and proving how he can frame any question in such a way as to elicit a particular response. Then he'd ask the same question in a slightly different way and get the complete opposite response!

These focus groups usually have a few dozen people participating. The 'best' polls use more, but scientifically speaking, it is best to use as wide a sample as possible. It is also important to control as many factors as possible, keeping them constant so that differences can be attributed to only one cause. At least this should be the objective. Many people I know simply throw up their hands in disgust at the whole thing and believe that none of this polling or media reporting has any effect on the outcome of our elections.

Friends of mine have actually laughed when I've said anything about the media choosing our candidates for us. We are all free to make up our own minds about who we vote for, right? If a majority is won by a candidate in the election, it must mean that a fully informed electorate has voiced its opinion on its first choice, right? Are we fully informed about every single choice we have? Does everyone vote their first choice, or do some begin to believe that their first choice has no chance leading them to cast their precious vote for someone less desirable because they are 'in the lead'?

This video by a media insider has the answer to these questions.