It's not as simplistic as that in Agenda Setting Theory, but it is close. The quote used to sum up the theory is that "the press may not tell you what to think, but it is strongly successful in telling it's readers what to think about(Griffin 360). One of the most famous cases of Agenda Setting is the Watergate scandal. It was a little known story, that eventually would not go away, and had the power to sway the public to realize the dishonesty of Nixon. Components of the theory start with a hypothesis.
The Agenda Setting Hypothesis states that mass media has the abiltity to transfer the salience of items on their news agenda to the public agenda. It is not however a one way street theorists reaearch public agenda too, which are the most important issues measured by public opinion survey. Framing is another very important aspect of agenda setting. It is a selection of a restricted number of thematically related attributes for inclusion on the media agenda when a particular object or issue is discussed.
News doesn't select itself. Who sets the agenda for the agenda setters?(Griffin,362).
This is an example of a pervasive media agenda. This agenda is created by the continual message that candidate Ron Paul is insignifigant to this election, even though he has gaind widespread support,as the facts dictate.This is more about what is kept from being said then what is being said. I'd like to add that I saw this from the other side too, such as MSNBC. The election coverage to me was so disheartening, because it was a sea of talking heads expert at framing the news, and agenda setting. Where is the real news anymore? The second clip is an example of framing. This is a fox news show, known as an Obama bashing outlet. The issue here is whether these pundits have skewed the news for their own framing, or whether this is real valid debate on a important issue, or in this case phrase. Needless to say the clip ends with one of the pundits storming out, frusturated I assume by the needless framing over this issue. You decide.
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I think that the Ron Paul video is a great example of the pervasive media agenda. Ron Paul was often painted within the media as unqualified, and a candidate not to take too seriously in the election. The facts clearly show that Ron Paul was indeed a strong challenger in the political race due to the "widespread support," but the dialogue of the broadcast undermines his credibility, as many stations did in the race for the presidency.
ReplyDeleteIn many ways, the Agenda-Setting Theory is similar to Cultivation Theory. In essence, the media has control over the thoughts of the masses through the ways in which the news is conveyed and which stories are most prominent. News outlets are therefore cultivating concern for a particular agenda or issue in the news. According to Griffin, “75 percent of the stories that come across a news desk are never printed or broadcast. News doesn't select itself.” This is an extremely important point to consider. People who receive their information from news outlets are exposed to a filtered set headlines and stories. It is difficult to escape this filtering of the media because every news source is guilty, especially those adamant in conveying a certain point of view. The Ron Paul montage is a great example of a collection of agenda-setting examples in television. A consistent message can be seen and heard throughout. Although these are not necessarily headlines, they are clips of news stations representing and maintaining a viewpoint on Ron Paul and his abilities.
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