AGENDA SETTING THEORY

Agenda Setting Theory tries to explain how media manipulates our thinking. This theory believes that the things that are informed in the media influences what we think and that although the media are powerful but we are still free to choose or consider newsworthy.

The agenda setting function is 4 part –process :

a)   Media Agenda – Issues on which the media focuses on.

b)  Public Agenda – Issues discussed and relevant to the public.

c)   Policy Agenda – Issues that the government consider important.

d) Corporate Agenda – Issues that the business or corporate people pay attention to.

    According to Spring (2002) gatekeeping is a cycle of stages that news have to go through before it is out for publicity. It is then to be decided whether or not the news is to be seen or heard.

For example : America’s Next Top Model reality show. It controls the interests of the public targeted especially at women. They are convinced that super thin women are beautiful, followed by super fabulous fashion trend going on today. So in this case, some women would find it interesting and some women would start to feel insecure about their appearances.

That exactly what media is trying to do; it not only makes us what to think about it, but also tells us how and what to think about it, and perhaps even what to do about it. This shows how media have larger influences on the audiences. Although most people feel or think that the same issues are important, others may feel or think otherwise about the issues at hand (Agenda Setting Theory, 2001). For example, to some women or other people, size does not matter and their idea of beautiful does not necessarily rely on figures.

Framing discusses how the media frames the news that people tend to think, understand and distinguish it differently.

For example : the war between India and Pakistan. It was framed in different ways in both of the countries. So it all depends on which media you view because you will get different perception.

 In conclusion, I think that Agenda Setting Theory can only show that media agendas affect some people, on some issues, some of the time. And in some cases, it mostly has cognitive rather than affective focus.

   References :

  Agenda Setting Theory, (2001). Accessed on 12^th April 2012 from http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/mass/agenda.htm

 Spring, M.S. (2002) Agenda Setting on 12^th April 2012 from http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~johnca/spch100/7-4-agenda.htm