Agenda Setting Theory: the World Outside the Pictures in Our Heads
Running head: Agenda Setting Theory
AGENDA SETTING THEORY
Rodelas, Jenica D.
Villamor, Diana Rose
Pontaoe, Dharell
University of Pangasinan- PHINMA Education Network
Author note:
This paper was prepared for COM 002, 2ABMC-1, taught by Professor Augustus Manzano
“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. The world will look different to different people.” Bernard Cohen
Agenda-setting theory describes the "ability [of the news media] to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda." That is, if a news item is covered frequently and prominently the audience will regard the issue as more important. Mass media only shows you what they want you to see. They are very successful at telling you what to think about. Print or broadcast news will then take away the audiences ability to think for themselves. Developed by Dr. Max McCombs and Dr. Donald Shaw in a study on the (1968) presidential election. In the 1968 "Chapel Hill study," McCombs and Shaw demonstrated a strong correlation between what 100 residents of Chapel Hill, North Carolina thought was the most important election issue and what the local and national news media reported was the most important issue. Since the 1968 study, published in a 1972 edition of Public Opinion Quarterly, more than 400 studies have been published on the agenda-setting function of the mass media, and the theory continues to be regarded as relevant.(Carroll & McCombs,2003)
HISTORY
The theory can be traced to the first chapter of Walter Lippmann’s 1922 classic, Public Opinion. In that chapter, "The World Outside The Pictures In Our Heads," Lippmann pointed out that the media dominates over the creation of pictures in our head and memory; he believed that the public reacts not to the actual event produced but the picture of the actual event in our memory.(Miller,2005) Lippmann argues that the
AGENDA SETTING THEORY
Rodelas, Jenica D.
Villamor, Diana Rose
Pontaoe, Dharell
University of Pangasinan- PHINMA Education Network
Author note:
This paper was prepared for COM 002, 2ABMC-1, taught by Professor Augustus Manzano
“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. The world will look different to different people.” Bernard Cohen
Agenda-setting theory describes the "ability [of the news media] to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda." That is, if a news item is covered frequently and prominently the audience will regard the issue as more important. Mass media only shows you what they want you to see. They are very successful at telling you what to think about. Print or broadcast news will then take away the audiences ability to think for themselves. Developed by Dr. Max McCombs and Dr. Donald Shaw in a study on the (1968) presidential election. In the 1968 "Chapel Hill study," McCombs and Shaw demonstrated a strong correlation between what 100 residents of Chapel Hill, North Carolina thought was the most important election issue and what the local and national news media reported was the most important issue. Since the 1968 study, published in a 1972 edition of Public Opinion Quarterly, more than 400 studies have been published on the agenda-setting function of the mass media, and the theory continues to be regarded as relevant.(Carroll & McCombs,2003)
HISTORY
The theory can be traced to the first chapter of Walter Lippmann’s 1922 classic, Public Opinion. In that chapter, "The World Outside The Pictures In Our Heads," Lippmann pointed out that the media dominates over the creation of pictures in our head and memory; he believed that the public reacts not to the actual event produced but the picture of the actual event in our memory.(Miller,2005) Lippmann argues that the
References: Public Opinion Quarterly, 36,176-185 McQuail & Windhal (1993) Carroll & McCombs,2003, A theory of agenda setting, Evanston, IL: Row & Peterson Miller, 2005 Ramsey & McGuire, 2000 Coleman and Banning 2006; Lee 2005; Shoemaker & Reese, 1996 Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 35 (4):392-402. Wilson p.14, 2005 Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 58 (2):203-210. Fairhurst&Sarr (1996) framing consists of three elements