1 Agenda Setting - Copy

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Title Page

  • News Agenda Setting Chapter One Week Three October 2024

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Overview

  • Chapter One: Agenda Setting

  • Chapter Two: Gatekeeping

  • Chapter Three: Priming

  • Chapter Four: Framing

  • Types of Framing

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Objective

  • Understand agenda setting, who sets it, and why

  • Explore how agenda setting affects comprehension of media messages

  • Differentiate between tools of agenda setting: gatekeeping, priming, and framing

  • Recognize different types of framing

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Definition of Agenda Setting

  • The ability of mass media to effect cognitive change among individuals.

  • Concept introduced by McCombs and Shaw: instead of telling us what to think, media effectively tells us what to think about.

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What is Agenda Setting?

  • Media transfers importance of issues on their agenda to the public agenda.

  • Cognitive process called accessibility: retrieving an issue from memory.

  • Influenced by individual beliefs and the perceived public importance of issues (e.g., increase in food prices).

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Mechanism of Agenda Setting

  • Media channels focus attention on specific issues over others.

  • The amount of media attention determines the perceived importance of these issues.

  • It tells the audience what issues to think about and how to think about them.

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Tools of Agenda Setting

  • Tools of agenda setting include:

    • Gatekeeping

    • Priming

    • Framing

  • These tools create awareness of issues and establish priorities among them.

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Consensus Building

  • Agenda setting finds consensus among alternative viewpoints.

  • Increased news exposure leads to consensus about public agenda.

  • Audience is guided to prioritize specific issues.

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McCombs & Shaw's Study (1972)

  • Analyzed 1968 elections by interviewing 100 undecided voters.

  • Focused on content analysis of local media news reports.

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Key Findings

  • Repetitive coverage of a story increases perceived importance, regardless of the message content.

  • There is a strong correlation between frequently covered stories and public concerns.

  • Cues like headline size and page location in newspapers signal issue importance.

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Assumptions of Agenda Setting

  • Media does not merely reflect reality; it filters and shapes it.

  • Media concentrates on select issues, elevating their perceived importance among the public.

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Strengths of Agenda Setting

  • Explains shared prioritization of issues among media consumers.

  • Predicts similar perceptions of importance among audiences using the same media sources.

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Limitations of Agenda Setting

  • Engaged users may not be well-informed about broad public affairs.

  • For those with firm opinions, agenda setting effects are diminished.

  • Emphasizes limited effects model and the role of opinion leaders.

  • Media cannot create or conceal problems, only alter awareness and priorities.

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Importance of Media in Agenda Setting

  • Media must set an agenda due to:

    • Limited public attention span for issues.

    • Issues must resonate to gain media coverage.

    • Constraints of time, space, financial resources, and sources.

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Recap of Agenda Setting

  • Agenda setting organizes our understanding of the world.

  • Media focuses on specific issues, elevating their importance.

  • Media filters and shapes reality rather than reflecting it.

  • Audience perception may differ from media expectations if prior opinions are established.

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Transition to Next Chapter

  • Next Topic: Chapter Two: Gatekeeping