Agenda Setting Theory Journal Article Discussion

Agenda Settingby Emilee, Amelia and Maggie

Definition:1. agenda-setting(Noun)2. A theory in mass-communication that states that the media have the ability to

determine which issues are important to the public.-definitions.net

"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

Origin:-Observed as early as the 1920’s

-Cohen’s famous quote

-Formally developed by Dr. Max McCombs and Dr. Donald Shaw

-Still considered relevant

Who are McCombs and Shaw?-Associate Professors of Journalism

-University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

-Famous for their “Chapel Hill” study

“The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media”-Journal article published in 1972, Public Opinion Quarterly

-Examines the role of the theory in the mass media

-Detailed account of the “Chapel Hill” study

Methods and Research:- Chapel Hill Study

- Study attempted to match what voters claimed to be important issues with what was being presented in the media

- 1968 presidential campaign

- Categorized content (major v. minor)

- 100 interviews conducted

- Content analyzed

Findings-Content was not about the issues

-Rather, analysis of the campaign itself

- Voters pay some attention to all political news, regardless of candidate

-Differing characteristics of media play a role“Voters tend to share the media’s composite definition of what is important strongly suggests an agenda-setting function of mass media.”

.

“The media appear to have exerted a considerable impact on voters judgement of what they considered the major issues of the campaign.”

Agenda-Setting, Priming and Framing Revisited: Another Look at Cognitive Effects

of Political CommunicationDietram A. ScheufeleDepartment of Communication

Cornell University

Overview- Studies often examine all three ideas in the same study

- Conceptual differences

- Develops analytical model for future research

What’s What?-Agenda setting= media tells us what’s important

-Framing= extension of agenda setting

-Priming= media presents context

Differences-Different processes

-Should be analyzed on different levels

-Framing is unintentional (caused by the nuance of words)

Agenda Building

-Media agenda= dependent variable

-How the public agenda is formed

-Lang and Lang= 4 step model

Conclusion-Article agrees with McCombs and Shaw

-Provides insight into how further research can and should be carried out

-Attempts to explain how agendas are formed

Let’s Do an Activity!

Agenda Setting and Politics

Politics Example: Donald TrumpMoved the GOP to the right on

immigration, to the left on free trade

●Scott Walker: Appropriated Donald Trump’s catchphrase “Make America Great Again”

●Mike Huckkabee: stole some of Trump’s lines in tweets. Ex. “It’s time to build America’s economy, not China’s or Mexico’s, & quit importing cheap labor & exporting jobs overseas.”

Who set the agenda for this interview?

Which of these candidates can you name?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/2016-presidential-candidates.html?_r=0

Framing

Agenda Setting and Gender

Megan Kamerick: Women Should

Represent Women in Media

Discussion QuestionsThoughts on the video?

Women make up only 19% of sources in stories on politics. What does this mean through the lens of agenda setting theory?

Do you think media should be setting the agenda by how society is (not as many women in technology) or by how society should be ( e.g. more women in technology)?

Caitlyn JennerWhy do you think we are talking about Caitlyn more than other transgender activists ?

How does being on the cover of Vanity Fair set the agenda?

Transgender stories in the media

Frozen 2 Spoiler?Article Excerpt from Seventeen Magazine:

The film's director Chris Buck told MTV News, "We have

two very strong female leads in Frozen. We will keep that

going in the next one. We will tackle other issues that, I

think, are out there today that boys and girls, men and

women, are dealing with."

"I think we're very aware of what is happening in

society ... I don't think any of us take [them] lightly, even

though they can be very funny and entertaining, the

messages that our movies have and the influence they can

have on young people."

-Articles from Latinospost.com and Psychology Today

-Queen Elsa is the first and only princess without a romantic interest

-”Let it Go” lyrics

-Elsa’s power increases, parents urge her to control it, but she can’t.

-Elsa is locked in her room so her power is not discovered.

Disney Setting the Agenda?How does Disney, as an entertainment media company, set the agenda differently than a news medium would?

What if Disney features a homosexual main character? What will result in regards to LGBT issues as an agenda point?

How do you think social media has influenced agenda setting?

ReferencesCreative Commons, Google Images

http://matei.org/ithink/2010/07/28/does-agenda-setting-theory-apply-to-social-media/

McCoombs & Shaw. “The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media.” The Public Opinion Quarterly. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.

http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1335&context=srhonorsprog

https://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_371w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/06/02/BostonGlobe.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-is-setting-the-gop-agenda_55e3d259e4b0b7a9633969c0P

Political Candidates:

https://s3.graphiq.com/sites/default/files/980/media/images/Lincoln_Chafee_6387900.jpg

http://www.okayplayer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bernie-Sanders-Square.jpg

http://s3-origin-images.politico.com/2015/06/24/150624_jim_webb_gty_629.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Hillary_Clinton_official_Secretary_of_State_portrait_crop.jpg

References con’tPolitical candidates:

http://sternspeakers.com/sites/default/files/styles/speaker-large/public/images/speakers/larry-lessig.jpg?itok=BzOFop_Z

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--tJbBQrzO--/1333111861599643427.jpg

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150716070949-02-caitlyn-jenner-espys-super-169.jpg

http://www.latinospost.com/articles/62356/20150526/queen-elsa-come-out-lesbian-frozen-2-release-date-cast.htm

https://tylerj412.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/screen-shot-2011-11-30-at-12-08-24-pm.png