A look at agenda setting theory and it's application to modern day examples.

1. Agenda Setting
by Emilee, Amelia and Maggie

2. 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

3. 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

4. Who are McCombs and Shaw?
-Associate Professors of Journalism
-University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
-Famous for their “Chapel Hill” study

5. “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

6. 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

7. 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.”
.

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

9. Agenda-Setting, Priming and Framing Revisited: Another Look at
Cognitive Effects of Political Communication
Dietram A. Scheufele
Department of Communication
Cornell University

10. Overview
- Studies often examine all three ideas in the same study
- Conceptual differences
- Develops analytical model for future research

11. What’s What?
-Agenda setting= media tells us what’s important
-Framing= extension of agenda setting
-Priming= media presents context

12. Differences
-Different processes
-Should be analyzed on
different levels
-Framing is
unintentional (caused by
the nuance of words)

13. Agenda Building
-Media agenda= dependent
variable
-How the public agenda is formed
-Lang and Lang= 4 step model

14. 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

15. Let’s Do an Activity!

16. Agenda Setting and Politics

17. Politics Example: Donald Trump
Moved 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 &

19. Who set the agenda for this interview?

20. Which of these candidates can you name?
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/2016-presidential-candidates.html?_r=0

21. Framing

22. Agenda Setting and Gender

23. Megan Kamerick: Women Should
Represent Women in Media

24. Discussion Questions
Thoughts 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)?

25. Caitlyn Jenner
Why 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?

26. Transgender stories in the media

27. 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."

28. -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.

29. 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?

30. How do you think social media
has influenced agenda setting?

31. References
Creative 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

32. References con’t
Political 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