Besides delving into the
personal life story of a media tycoon,
the movie Citizen Kane represents
an ideology of mass media as a whole. 
Through the movie,
audiences gain insight into
how media exert influence over
the social, economical and political
development of a community.
Given the overruling influence and impact,
we can see how powerful media is.
The key questions behind are
who are the people running the media
and how they choose to run it.
Firstly,
the movie illustrates the political influence of media.
In everyday life,
normal people like us would not
encounter politics at first hand,
media is the only channel we hear, read
and watch about politics.
We form our political views mainly,
through the various sources of news.
Therefore the common views of the people
can be strongly influenced by the media,
depending on what the media choose to write.
The very example portrayed in the movie is
how Kane instigated the US war-mongering and
entrance into the Spanish-America War (1898).
This editorial attitude of Kane
is said to make a stark reference to
William Randolph Hearst,
a newspaper magnate of that era.
Kane made this specific statement,
“…provide the prose poems, I'll provide the war."
It exactly echoed Hearst’s famous quote,
“You furnish the pictures I'll furnish the war.”
Besides the political climate in general,
media is capable of building
and at the same ruining
the path of a politician or any other public figure. 
As Kane seeks election as governor of New York,
his prospect of success seems bright,
and he even imagines himself,
running for the President one day.
Junior who is watching his father, asked:
Is dad the President yet?
However,
the quick rise collapses overnight when
the scandal between him and a singer is exposed.
All the promising political declaration
falls on deaf ears
since people will now only focus on
this particular dark spot.
Sounds familiar?
In fact this situation is still happening
around the globe today, isn’t it?
Impartiality of media critics
is another reflection
which the movie has enlightened us on.
When Susan Kane makes her debut as an opera singer,
obviously, all the newspapers owned by Kane,
have to write something positive and encouraging
about her performance.
It doesn’t really matter
how awful it can be in reality.
Leland who criticized the performance,
was immediately fired.
And can you believe it
he is the only friend Kane has ever had…
And since Charles Kane owns a chain of newspapers
all over the place,
the distortive effect appears to be powerful.
So this particular scene really reminds audiences that
we deserve a right to question media opinion.
additionally,
the movie points out how media tends to
sensationalize the death of public figures.
The very death of Kane,
at the beginning of movie
was being discussed by an editor and his reporters.
They tried to search for a dark angle of his life,
something curious which the audiences will take interest in. 
Rosebud,
the last word of Kane before he dies
what is it supposed to mean?
On another incident,
when Kane is running his newspaper,
he fabricated the disappearance of a woman
into a scandalous murder.
And this is what he said,
which still much reflects the situation of today:
“If the headline is big enough, it makes the news big enough.”
However,
the media can manipulate its influences for good course.
A the beginning, Kane idealistically publishes his
“Declaration of Principles”.
He vows to defend the right of common people and
speaks only the truth on his papers. 
However,
it is easier to be said than to be done,
this stance soon collapses in order to gain readership.
Therefore from this movie,
it is quite clear that audience must always bear in mind:
there is always an agenda behind what is published.
To believe or not to believe?
Citizen Kane / 1939 / trailer
