The agenda setting theory was first introduced in 1972 and suggests that mass media has the ability to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda by telling people what issues are important through the amount of coverage those issues receive. The theory originated from studies of the 1968 US presidential election and has since been expanded on. There are three main types of agenda setting: public, media, and policy. While the theory aims to show how media can shape public perceptions, it has also received criticisms for being difficult to measure and not accounting for many variables. As media continues to evolve, some argue the agenda setting theory may become less relevant.