In this weeks lecture, Dr Redman introduced us to the topic of Agenda Setting, how the media 'constructs reality'. We addressed what agenda setting is, Where it came from through a brief history of Agenda Setting, What Agenda Setting does and why it does it, The main players in the Agenda Setting family, Strengths and weaknesses of the theory, Agenda Setting and the effects on the 24 hour news cycle and finally Agenda Setting examples. These were the notes that I took from this weeks lecture...
Agenda Setting: A theory, but like all
good, solid theories is all a bit obvious really! (Redman 2012). Put simply,
the more coverage an issue receives, the more important it is to people.
Pre
Amble – 4 agendas (Interrelated)
- Public agenda – the set of topics that members of the public perceive as important
- Policy agenda – issues that decision makers think are salient
- Corporate agenda – issues that big business and corporations consider important
- Media agenda – issues discussed in the media
2
Basic assumptions of media agenda setting
- The mass media do not merely reflect and report reality, they filter and shape it
- Media concentrates on a few issues and subjects lead the public to perceive those issues as more important than other issues
Where
did it come form?
- 1920 – Lasswell believed the mass media injected direct influence into the audience
- 1922 Lippman believed the mass media creates images of events in our minds because people rely on images when formulating judgements
2 main types of agenda setting theory
- First level agenda setting theory: At this level the media suggest what the public should focus on through coverage
- Second level agenda setting theory: The media suggests how people should think about an issue
Agenda
setting – what it does?
- Transfer of issue salience from the news media to the public
- Transfer of issue salience for both issues and other objects such as political figures
- Elite media often set the agenda for issues in other media
“Why does the media set the agenda?
Because they can!” (Redman 2012)
Agenda
Setting family
1.
Media Gatekeeping
Ø The
exposure of an issue
Ø What
the media chooses to reveal to the public
2.
Media Advocacy
Ø The
purposive promotion of a message through the media
3.
Agenda Cutting
Ø Most
of the truth or reality that is going on in the world isn’t represented (E.G.
Bieber’s haircut is represented more than the issue of Aids)
4.
Agenda Surfing
Ø The
media follows the crowd and trends
Ø Media
surfs on the wave of topics (Bandwagon effect)
5.
The diffusion of news
Ø The
process through which an important event is communicated to the public
6. Portrayal
of an issue
Ø The
way and issue is portrayed will often influence how it is perceived by the
public
Ø Different
media outlets with different portrayals cause individual perceptions within the
public (especially race portrayals)
7.
Media dependence
Ø The
more dependent a person is on the media for information, the more susceptible
that person is to media agenda setting (E.G. Facebook and Twitter)
Strengths of Agenda Setting Theory
- Explanatory power
- Predictive power
- Organizing power
- Proven false
- Balanced on the scientific side
- Groundwork for further research
Weaknesses
of Agenda Setting Theory
- People with made up minds, the effect is weakened
- News can’t create or conceal problems
- New media is a whole new ball game for Agenda Setting
24-hour news cycle
- Old
o
6 or 7pm news bulletin
o
Newspaper
- New
o
Online news
o
ABC 24
Media
agenda and political process
- “Deciding what is important”
- Political agenda setting – is it a 2 way street?
Hoo Roo
Stewy
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