I read something interesting the other week, regarding the economics of giving away free DVDs with newspapers, and it ended up with a line about how newspaper proprietors didn't do it for profit, they did it for influence, and that may be what's happening here.
Say for example that Rupert Murdoch, for whatever reason, fervently supported the reinstatement of the death penalty. His papers then need to run a story saying 'Everyone wants the death penalty back, with the exception of a few limp-wristed liberals' and a number of people will start to think that if everyone else wants it back, then so should they, and the process continues.
One thing I have notice more and more, especially with the tabloids is that as well as just reporting, they will lead you into what they want you to think as well. Instead of a story starting, say. 'Gary Glitter.....' it will start 'Sick Paedo Gary Glitter.....' thereby making your mind up for you before you've even read the article.
One other thing I would pick up on is where markie said 'all this crime against kids seems to be turning the public in favour of the death penalty'. Obviously these are evil acts, but again I think I saw a report that said that the actual number of such offences has remained pretty constant throughout the last century - It is just the reporting that leads people to believe that there has been some vast upsurge in child abduction and that we shouldn't let our children out of our sight anymore, but stick them in the bedroom with the Playstation where they'll be safe.