Agenda Setting

With an understanding of agenda setting theory, a voter can more reasonably assess his or her political choices and attitudes. The application of this theory can almost be like taking a behind-the-scenes look at understanding how and why voters decide what is most important in political campaigns. Since much of the population is dependent on the news media as one of their only sources of information during political campaigns, the media has a great deal of influence on the population.

Benoit (2007) offers a very clear and concise description of agenda setting: “[B.C.] Cohen succinctly expressed the basic idea of agenda setting when he wrote that 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’” (206). The news media uses a very strong influence over the public to help them determine the most important and pressing issues of political campaigns.

Through our day-to-day media exposures, we are told what to think about. The news media covers certain issues more than others; therefore, voters begin to believe that these issues are some of the most important ones facing the nation. We are allowing the media to set the public agenda. So, the dialogues within media politics aren’t necessarily about the most important issues—they’re about what the media discusses the most. It seems as though recognition and frequency are translating to importance.

It’s important that the public understands that there are more ways of being an informed voter. If you know that the media is going to stress topics that its own agenda deems most important, you have the capability to become more knowledgeable by seeking out other sources of information, thus gaining an understanding of issues that may not be presented in the media.

Politicians use this to their advantage. According to Iyengar (2007), “Policy makers know that when the media spotlight is aimed at a particular issues, they are likely to have greater success in proposing or moving along legislation on that issue” (213). Thus, agenda setting gives politicians an advantage at the same time as telling the public what to think about. It’s a lot of power placed in the media’s hands.

Discussion Questions:

1. Besides watching the TV news or reading a newspaper, where can you find what you want to know about elections?
   
2. Some people say that the media just discuss what the public thinks is important. Do you think there is any truth to this?
   
3. Do you think voters should be more active and search for information about elections on their own, or should they feel like they can trust the media to give them the information they need in order to make informed decisions?
   

References:
Benoit, W. (2007). Communication in Political Campaigns. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
Iyengar, S., & McGrady, J. A. (2007). Media politics: A citizen’s guide. New York: W. W. Norton.