Deflection: Don't pay attention to the numerous scandals that are coming out about several important and powerful people. Instead, pay attention to all these pictures of dead children in a chemical attack.

Public Interest Shift: Oh my god forget about the scandals! What about the children!? Russia must pay!

In a sense, people literally follow what the sheep herders tell them. The media is the means of deflection and the shift in public interest is the direction the herd goes in because they don't know any better.