Agenda Setting Theory

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Agenda Setting Theory

• Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw

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Agenda-setting hypothesis - what causes what?

• The mass media have the ability to transfer the
  salience of issues on their news agenda to the
  public agenda.
• i.e. We judge as important what the media judges
  as important.
• Two types of agendas
• Media agendas pattern of news coverage across
  major print and broadcast media as measured by
  the prominence and length of stories
• Public agendas The most important public issues
  as measured by public opinion surveys.
• Who is most affected by the media agenda? -
  Those individuals who have an index of curiosity
  ( need for orientation ) are motivated to let the
  media shape their views.
• (Example if I am an animal lover, stories on
  animal abuse catches my attention.)

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Framing Transferring the Salience of Attributes

• The media arent very successful in telling us
  what to think, but they are stunningly successful
  in telling us what to think about.
• Framing the selection, emphasis, exclusion and
  elaboration of the news content by the media
• i.e. the media tells us what is important and is
  selective in reporting only the content dealing
  with the selective points of the content.
• Example John F. Kennedy was continually reported
  on as youthful vigor but his extramarital
  affairs were hidden by the press corps.
• Current thought is The media may not only tell
  us what to
• think about, they
  also may tell us how and what
• to think about it, and
  perhaps even what to do
• about it.

Educational Video Agenda Setting Theory
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How Does Agenda Setting Theory Work?

• Perception Model
• Source Prof. Frank Brettschneider, University
  Höhenheim, Germany

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Behavioral Effect of the News Media

• Research has shown connections between media
  agendas and opinion.
• Interesting behaviors can be predicted after
  certain media priorities.
• Examples a reduction in travel by air and an
  increase in flight insurance after reports of
  airplane crashes.
• Professional sports benefit from media
• Scheduling games during prime time
• Players are idolized
• Numbers of games increase
• Monies paid to the professional sports
  organizations (NBA, AFC, etc) has grown
  exponentially providing an agenda for a
  business plan

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Who Sets the Agenda for the Agenda Setters?

• A handful of news editors are gatekeepers of
  political dialogue
• Operations chiefs of Associated Press
• The New York Times
• The Washington Post
• Time
• Newsweek
• ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox and MSNBC
• Candidates and Office Holders themselves
• Interest aggregations - clusters of individuals
  who demand center stage
• Compelling news events that cannot be ignored

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New Media Does it Shape Agendas, Opinions and
Behavior?

• Online reading of newspapers vs. print newspapers
  study
• Print readers retained more content
• Selection of issues are more important to
  individuals and align them to a prioritized
  agenda
• New technologies create a more personalized
  information environment that curtails larger
  flows of public information
• Age differences create preferential media choices
• Young adults deem late-night comedians and the
  parodies may determine importance of issues in
  the media

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Questions to ponder

• 1. If the media arent telling you what to think,
  why is their ability to tell you what to think
  about so important?
• 2. What dominant set of attributes could you use
  to frame an individuals point of view? Example
  What attributes of a teacher could a student use
  to frame how the teacher is perceived by the
  student? Why might this be important in teacher
  evaluations?
• Is there a recent issue that reporters and
  commentators are talking about that you may not
  care about? Do you think you still may not care
  about it two or three months from now?

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References

• Griffin, E. A. A First Look at Communication
  Theory. 2012.
• McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
• Educational Video Agenda Setting Theory.
  Accessed 11.12.11 http//communication-theory
  .com/archives/130
• Media Tenor Website. Accessed 11/12/11.
  http//www.mediatenor.com/smi_AS_approach.php