Press: John F. Kennedy was martyred for freedom, you will respect him.
People: um...yeah. For sure. He was a hero.

Press: Bill Clinton is the best thing that happened to this country. Just look at the economy!
People: Damn straight!

Press: George Bush is an idiot.
People: Yeah, he sure talks funny.

Press: Oh no! Ronald Reagan is dead. He is the best thing that ever happened to this country.
People: Yeah. *sniff.* He's the best thing that happened to freedom. We will miss him (though we didn't give a crap about him while he was alive all that time).

The press DEFINITELY tells us what to think about. The question is... do they tell us what to think