Agenda Setting - Lecture 11

“The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about” 

- Bernard Cohen

Agenda Setting in journalism revolves around the social construction of reality. Much like in News Values, we all hear, see, and understand differently, but the media is a common source of information and can determine what the majority does or does not know. Media is a mediator of society.

Now I’ve made that sound really daunting, mostly because it is. It is a huge responsibility, and sometimes that responsibility falls down onto one journalist; one person. But journalism isn’t some sort of evil power. My favourite saying when it comes to journalism or even technology is that it is all tools and it is the wielder of the tool that is to blame for any wrong doings, not the tool itself. Many people talk negatively of journalists, and therefore put down journalism all together, but they are not aware of how the system works. So this is where understanding comes in and agenda setting is a good example to explain.

There are four agendas:

1.      Public Agenda – topics that appeal to the members of public as important

2.      Policy – issues for decision-makers or that are seen as significant by them

3.      Corporate – issues seen by the big businesses and companies

4.      Media – issues discussed in media

These four agendas are all interrelated and cover a broad range of the media’s audiences. And what agenda setting generally allows, stories that are shown more often are deemed more important by the public, therefore allowing the media to continue with that story and leaving others in the background.

Here's a visual representation of that concept:

Two theories have been put forward to explain how this system works.

The Hypodermic Needle Model (Harold Lasswell – 1920)

A rather straightforward method of the mass media simply injects the information it chooses into its audience, holding direct influence over them and what they then care about and understand.

Public Opinion (Walter Lippmann – 1922)

Essentially, the media creates images in our heads of events and these images affect our judgements of the topic.

What makes this theories hold what is probably the truth? Well there are a group of aspects that can manipulate the audience. Together these aspects are dubbed ‘The Agenda Setting Family’.

o   Media Gatekeeping – exposure of the issue/the message chosen by media to reveal to public

o   Media Advocacy – purpose in promoting message through media

o   Agenda Cutting – most of truth isn’t represented and is cared about less

o   Agenda Surfing – “Bandwagon” effect: following trends/opinion influences others towards that opinion (e.g. the fact that Lady Gaga hit her head and got concussion in a concert the other night seems to be more interesting than the war currently going on in so many countries for human rights)

o   Diffusion of news – the process that an important event is delivered to the public (who decides the when, where and how of the release of information)

o   Portrayal of an issue – portraying issues/how the public perception is influenced by these portrayals (e.g. stereotypes of girls/teenagers/indigenous folk/Americans, etc.)

o   Media Dependence – the more people who depend on the media the more they are susceptible to Agenda Setting (Facebook and Twitter have become almost a way of life)

The most important message I received from this lecture is the value of critical thinking. As both an audience member and as a journalist. Critical thinking does not happen as much as I would like within the general public, so many people take what is said as word. Proof of that is all the people who fall for scams on the internet or really think they have won a free iPad (the ads would stop if they weren’t successful).

I have always been a curious soul and I often say the only thing I truly hate is closed-mindedness. I try not to be a hypocrite and question everything I hear over the internet and television in particular. I think as a writer, not as a viewer. I wonder in the purpose of telling us a certain article of news, or even in a drama series why they would use that particular shot or introduce a new character. I also believe that it is this nature of mine that has lead me onto this route of choosing journalism as a career – where all I have to do is amplify who I am, get to the truth and share it with the public.

Journalism isn’t bad. It just needs the right people, and I’d like to think I am one of them.

"Yet in truly effective thinking the prime necessity is to liquidate judgments, regain an innocent eye, disentangle feelings, be curious and open-hearted."

Walter Lippmann