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Agenda Setting Theory

Agenda Setting Theory. Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw. 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.

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Agenda Setting Theory

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  1. Agenda Setting Theory Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw

  2. 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.)

  3. Framing: Transferring the Salience of Attributes • “The media aren’t 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

  4. How Does Agenda Setting Theory Work? • Perception Model • Source: Prof. Frank Brettschneider, University Höhenheim, Germany

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. Questions to ponder • 1. If the media aren’t 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?

  9. 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

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