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    COM505 Critical Review 2 Agenda Setting

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    Joshua Kiser
    The agenda setting theory proposes that the media has the ability to influence the public agenda by determining what issues are deemed important through the amount of coverage those issues receive. The theory was first established by McCombs and Shaw in their 1968 study of the presidential election, which found strong correlations between what voters considered important issues and what the media emphasized. While the media cannot tell people what to think, it can shape public perceptions by what it chooses to focus on. Critics argue that modern journalism prioritizes entertainment and satisfying audiences over factual information, and that media ownership and bias affect coverage choices and the framing of issues.

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    COM505 Critical Review 2 Agenda Setting

    Uploaded by

    Joshua Kiser
    23 views5 pages
    The agenda setting theory proposes that the media has the ability to influence the public agenda by determining what issues are deemed important through the amount of coverage those issues receive. The theory was first established by McCombs and Shaw in their 1968 study of the presidential election, which found strong correlations between what voters considered important issues and what the media emphasized. While the media cannot tell people what to think, it can shape public perceptions by what it chooses to focus on. Critics argue that modern journalism prioritizes entertainment and satisfying audiences over factual information, and that media ownership and bias affect coverage choices and the framing of issues.

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    The agenda setting theory proposes that the media has the ability to influence the public agenda by determining what issues are deemed important through the amount of coverage those issues receive. The theory was first established by McCombs and Shaw in their 1968 study of the presidential election, which found strong correlations between what voters considered important issues and what the media emphasized. While the media cannot tell people what to think, it can shape public perceptions by what it chooses to focus on. Critics argue that modern journalism prioritizes entertainment and satisfying audiences over factual information, and that media ownership and bias affect coverage choices and the framing of issues.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    23 views5 pages

    COM505 Critical Review 2 Agenda Setting

    Uploaded by

    Joshua Kiser
    The agenda setting theory proposes that the media has the ability to influence the public agenda by determining what issues are deemed important through the amount of coverage those issues receive. The theory was first established by McCombs and Shaw in their 1968 study of the presidential election, which found strong correlations between what voters considered important issues and what the media emphasized. While the media cannot tell people what to think, it can shape public perceptions by what it chooses to focus on. Critics argue that modern journalism prioritizes entertainment and satisfying audiences over factual information, and that media ownership and bias affect coverage choices and the framing of issues.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 5

    CRITICAL REVIEW #2

    Agenda Setting Theory

    JOSHUA KISER
    CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
    COM505
    1
    Agenda Setting Theory

    This week’s theory exploration takes us through the passage of looking into the agenda

    setting theory. The term "capacity (of the news media to affect the significance put on the themes

    of the public agenda)" is used to describe the process of "setting the agenda." (Oliver, 2020,

    p.184) The process by which the media strives to exert influence over viewers and build a

    hierarchy of news precedence is analyzed under the heading of "setting the agenda." Nations that

    are seen to be gifted with a greater amount of political authority receive greater publicity in the

    media. The biases held by the media towards topics such as politics, the economy, and culture

    are what drive the agenda that is set by the media. A rapid speed of growth and extension of

    these viewpoints was promoted by the development of agenda-setting and laissez-faire

    components of communication research. In order to achieve its intended purpose, the process of

    agenda setting must follow a certain sequence of steps. In a research on the presidential election

    of 1968 referred to as "the Chapel Hill study," Dr. Max McCombs and Dr. Donald Shaw

    formally created what is now known as the agenda-setting hypothesis. McCombs and Shaw

    revealed a high association between the thoughts of one hundred inhabitants of Chapel Hill

    regarding what was the most important election topic and what was reported to be the most

    important subject by the local news media. (Lamb, 2012) McCombs and Shaw determined the

    degree to which the public is swayed by the media by comparing the importance of subjects

    discussed in the news to the impressions held by the general population. The idea also proposes

    that the media has a significant impact on its audience by instilling in them what they ought to

    think about rather than what they really think about. To put it another way, the audience will

    view an issue as more important if it is reported several times and in prominent places in the

    news. (Oliver, 2020) There is a correlation between what members of the media choose to

    highlight and their perspectives on topics such as politics, the economy, and culture, according to
    2
    Agenda Setting Theory

    a number of studies. Other opponents of the news media in the United States argue that

    journalism has morphed into a type of entertainment, in addition to the prejudice that exists in

    the media. Instead of supplying the public with the facts that they require, journalists make it

    their mission to satisfy the public's thirst for frightening and dramatic headlines. Countries that

    have a greater tendency to have more political authority have a greater possibility of receiving

    media attention. Some of the most important reasons that might explain coverage inequality

    include monetary resources, technological advances, international commerce, and the amount of

    money spent on the military.

    The Agenda Function Setting Theory video explained the concepts rooted within the

    agenda setting theory and argued the explanation that the media can’t tell you what to watch and

    discuss. However, which media can’t tell you what to think, but more importantly what to think

    about. It focused its attention to the presidential elections and the focus of communicating the

    issue and how can you manipulate the views, titles, font sizes, and ultimately trigger the

    stimulating talks supporting the concepts of media messages. More importantly, we focus on the

    aspects of how the agenda setting theory addresses the ability to create topics as major or minor

    in discussion forums. Another great concept brought forth in this video, was the definition of

    reality versus perceived reality and the ability for the media to effectively control dictate and

    create adversity to particular topics. All the while maintaining this stance of distance and

    separation from the information presented, which is defined as the framing theory. The media

    bias perspective is dissected by Alisa Miller's Ted Talk, which also provides regional and

    geographical examples of media framing and agenda shaping ideas. Miller's convincing evidence

    demonstrates how skewed the media's portrayal of global events has made us, allowing her to

    relate to and build trust with her listeners. She also shows that, despite having less education
    3
    Agenda Setting Theory

    overall, people today are 50% more engaged in international news than our ancestors. Miller

    (2008) Video interview with Jaron Lanier is excellent because it shows how digital tracking and

    manipulation appear in practice. We are introduced to the actual magic of technology

    manipulation and monitoring in this video and in his book, "Ten Reasons to Delete your Social

    Media Account Now." The power of the mass media to influence our behavior and direct our

    attention to specific, premium content is predicated on the digital information collection and

    content production that is the hallmark of the media industry of the future.

    The theoretical approach displays the conceptualized notion that the media has a

    strangle hold on the variance and tolerability of our news media. Based upon ownership

    hierarchy and political biasness built into the corporate structure. The media outlets with deepest

    pockets can control the visualization of media imagery and information. By portraying aspects of

    particular details that contribute to personal factors, limiting informational flows, and devising

    campaign and strategic deployment of advertisements and propaganda, the media is complete

    control of our news watching. Therefore, as communication specialists it is our duty and

    obligation to maintain an open eye and ear and develop truthful methodologies of

    communication. Holding firm in our values in the face of adversity, we must profoundly go

    froward and present and represent all views, whether political, religious, or cultural, we are

    bound in the eyes of God, to be truthful.


    4
    Agenda Setting Theory

    Reference:

    Lamb, B. (2012, September 6). The agenda setting function theory | media in minutes - YouTube.
    Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7qf9gQpoF4 

    Lanier, J. (2018, June 15). Jaron Lanier interview on how Social Media Ruins Your Life -
    YouTube. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
    v=kc_Jq42Og7Q 

    Miller, A. (2008). How the news distorts our worldview. Alisa Miller: How the news distorts our
    worldview | TED Talk. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from
    https://www.ted.com/talks/alisa_miller_how_the_news_distorts_our_worldview 

    Oliver, M. B., Raney, A. A., & Bryant, J. (2020). Media effects: Advances in theory and
    research. Routledge. 

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