Agenda Setting Theory

First introduced in 1972 by college professors, Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw, they found in surveying North Carolina voters during the 1968 U.S. presidential election that what people thought were the most important issues were what the mass media reported as the most critical.

Thus, agenda-setting theory was born, built on the notion that the mass media sets the agenda for what people should care about.

Core Assumptions

The agenda-setting theory rests on two basic assumptions:

The first is that the media filters and shapes what we see rather than just reflecting stories to the audience. An example of this is seeing a sensational or scandalous story at the top of a broadcast as opposed to a story that happened more recently or one that affects more people, such as an approaching storm or legislative tax reform.

The second assumption is that the more attention the media gives to an issue, the more likely the public will consider that issue to be important. Another way to look at it: Mass media organizations aren’t telling us what to think or how we should feel about a story or issue, but are giving us certain stories or issues that people should think more about.

There is psychological and scientific merit to the agenda-setting theory. The more a story is publicized in the mass media, the more it becomes prominently stored in individuals’ memories when they’re asked to recall it, even if it doesn’t specifically affect them or register as a prominent issue in their minds.

Types of Agenda Setting

There are three types of agenda setting:

• Public agenda setting: when the public determines the agenda for which stories are considered important
• Media agenda setting: when the media determines the agenda for which stories are considered important
• Policy agenda setting: when both the public and media agendas influence the decisions of public policy makers

Criticisms

One of the issues with the agenda-setting theory is that it is difficult to measure.

Research on the theory has been largely inconclusive in establishing a causal relationship between public prominence and media coverage. And in 2018, with the worldwide influence of the internet and social media, where almost everyone can find news they’re looking for instead of being constrained by just relying on one or two sources, it’s harder to convince others that the mass media is setting the agenda.

In addition, the theory doesn’t work for people who have already made up their minds. For example, someone might believe that his or her elected official was the right choice for office, despite numerous compelling reports to the contrary presented by the mass media.

Media Hegemony Theory

1. The concept of hegemony was first put forward by Antonio Gramsci Hegemony refer to the idea “ Dominance or control of one group on another” Control or dominating influence by one person or group, especially by one political party or group over society or one nation over others is called hegemony.
2.  Media is in the hands of dominant elite. The mass media are controlled by the ruling class in society. which uses it as a toll for exerting control over the rest of society so that elite can be upper.
3. Important is that domination of elite through ideology rather than force§ Media manufacture concept ( that support the dominance class ) in group of people who work for society in different time and types. § Media try to develop/create a consent in society about ruling class in the masses § Media is considered social institution in society §
4.  Golding says “ The class which has the means of material production has control at the same time over the means of mental production”. Karl Marx “ The class which has control on economic means of production also control mental means of production”. Jim Morrison “Whoever controls the media controls the mind”.
5. Because politicians depend upon continued monetary support from private wealthy individuals to stay in office, they must vote for tax laws that favor the rich.§ Because of the large investment in campaigns by wealthy individuals, those who support better tax breaks for the rich have more money to spend on campaigns and greater chances of winning. § The control of money thus equals a control of power. § Advancement in technology also a big reason because the countries which have advancement in technology use it for dominance. (Nuclear bomb) § Finance is necessary for a media organization , There is a class who, use money to control the power, and remain dominant in the society. §
6. Across Society, there were many interest groups that people aligned them. Ruling class managed to rule, by taking on the interests of enough of these groups, and therefore gaining the consent of the majority.§ Reporters tend to cover topic and report those issues that are favorable to the dominant ideology § Political elites control media by bringing media professionals into their sphere §
7. MEDIA HEGEMONY AND WESTERN MEDIA West after the invention of Radio totally use it for their own interest .West very rapidly made progress in the technologies about mass media, because they spent large investment for advancement of media. West through mass media disseminated only those information to other world which cause dominance of their ideas on the other. They use mass media for propaganda against Muslim Countries to meet their goals.
8. HBO Welcome Home Heroes§ ABC Welcome home America § welcoming the army and portray the people that they are the winners, showing people meeting with army § Americans army fight for democracy and for human right instead of dead bodies § The War you don’t see, john Pilger § Important is that people from all over the world supporting this that American doing best § Create the hegemony of American army ,shows American are fighting for freedom of people , American are doing best, fighting against the evils §