For the most scandalous events of the past few years, the majority of the people that I encounter have been thoroughly brainwashed by the mainstream media (and I live in a Western country!). Most people are unaware of the fact that six billionaires control about 90% of the cable TV news and Internet news media. Large media outlets are usually a poor investment, but, it's always lucrative to control what most people think.
Yes, it's called propaganda and with the help of technology is now stronger than ever. The shades of truth can easily be drowned in misinformation but there is a certain type of recipient who turns into an absolute zombie on this propaganda. They can be told a lie have proof that it is a lie and they won't budge.