If I were to try to control society, I would become a popular celebrity, and get as large a group as possible to feel roughly the same way at the same time by releasing media, the consumption of which can steer the general mood.
I bet you the national happiness metre gave a mesurable twitch when star wars was released. Rock bands have had thousands upon thousands “synching up” in the same room, so to speak, or even moving in synchronous time. If I were to release a comedy that broke acclaim records, then I would have the national mood swing by making a LOT of people laugh and be delighted during a period of a few weeks.
That could be enough to swing the public jury one way or another on a divisive subject.
Primates On Typewriters 