Chapter 28 Agenda-Setting Theory

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Chapter 28Agenda-Setting Theory

• Griffin, E. (2006). A first look at
• communication theory (6th ed.). Boston
  McGraw-Hill.

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Agenda-Setting Theory

• McCombs Shaw, 1972
• Summary
• The media tells us what to think about
• Recently, agenda-setting claims the media also
  tell us what to think, and what to do about it
• www.tenbyten.org/now.html

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First Level Agenda-Setting

• Original version of the theory
• Media tells us what to think about
• Media agenda ? public agenda
• Initial study on 1968 presidential election
  (Chapel Hill, NC)
• Contrasts with prevailing selective exposure
  hypothesis

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First Level, contd

• Who sets the agenda for the agenda setters?
• News editors as gatekeepers
• http//www.freepress.net/content/ownership
• Political candidates
• Public relations professionals
• Interest groups
• News events themselves

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Second Level Agenda-Setting

• Revised version of the theory
• Media tell us how and what to think about it
• Framing to frame is to select some aspects of a
  perceived reality and make them more salient in a
  communication text (p. 402)

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Second Level, contd

• Media may also tell us what to do about It
• Currently being researched
• Sometimes they tell us what to do or suggest what
  to do

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Who is Most Affected by Medias Agenda?

• Need for orientation
• Relevance
• Uncertainty

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Effects of Newer Media

• May lessen the agenda-setting effects of the
  media
• More content choice
• More control over content

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Critique

• More realistic, limited effects model than the
  hypodermic needle model
• Gives more power to the media than selective
  exposure hypothesis
• Findings are not always consistent
• Controversy over framing

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