The Agenda Setting Theory By Maxwell McCombs and Donald L. Shaw
The theory clearly states that the mass media, particularly the news media has a large influence to the audience of the same environment regarding on their choice of what news or story is worth believing.
This theory also answers why people with similar media exposure gives importance on the same issues. Although different people have different perceptions about issues at hand, most of the people feel the same issues are important.
The Agenda-Setting Theory comes from a scientific perspective, because it predicts that if people are exposed to the same media, they will place importance on the same issues.It has explanatory power because it explains why most people prioritize the same issues as important.
Scientific perspective gives the idea that knowledge could only be acquired through empirical, measurable and observable occurrences. According to Chaffee Bergers 1997 Criteria for Scientific Theories, Agenda-Setting Theory has a great conceptualization because it has these major qualities it has predictive power because it predicts that if people are exposed to the same media, they will feel the same issues are important, it is easy to understand, it can be proven unreal becauseif people arent exposed to the same media, they wont feel the same issues are important, its meta-theoretical (philosophical discussion of the foundations, structure, or results of some theory, such as meta mathematics, (ref Collins English Dictionary)assumptions are balanced on the scientific side, it is subjected for further research and, has organizing power because it helps organize existing knowledge of media effects.
Media is very powerful, thats why there is a belief that once an issue is published on the newspaper, shown on the television and heard on radio, whether it is true or not the majority of the peoples response is for the affirmative side, not until after an investigation is conducted.
Agenda-setting theory best fits in a scenario of political campaign during election for future government leaders, wherein politicians put their best efforts to beautify their names. This is achieved through different modern and old fashioned techniques.
These gimmicks are being feasted by media people for their scoop and news features including the candidates caucuses together with the members of their parties, composition of campaign songs and giving of campaign paraphernalia, motorcades, debates, forums and many more publicity stunts.
During the campaign period, the candidates will persuade people to vote for them by saying good things about their past, what they have done for the public and their plans and programs for the future.
Infomercials are also very advantageous for the candidates to connect with the people and to create awareness about who they are and why the public need to vote for them its up to the audience if they will believe the contents of the infomercial or not.
Some candidates also put some stain on their opponents reputation by doing a black propaganda which means, false material where the source is disguised. It is HYPERLINK httpencyclopedia.thefreedictionary.comPropaganda propaganda that declares to be from a source on one side of a conflict, but is actually from the opposing side. It is typically used to embarrass or misrepresent the enemy.
By the time these things are shown to public different feedbacks will occur and the people will judge whether it is believable or not. Numerous teams of supporters will be formed who truly trust a candidate and from these supporters, detractors will also be present to oppose their candidates rival.
Now let us go back to the discussion of theory itself. The agenda setting theory has its components. First is the Public Agenda wherein the concerns are discussed personally to the members of the public, next is the Media Agenda in which issues are discussed through media like television, radio and newspaper, third is the Policy Agenda are issues that talks about the importance of policy makers and lastly, Corporate Agenda wherein the subject matter is about the significance of big businesses and corporations.
These functions are somehow relative to each other and are essential matters of the agenda setting theory.
Another dramatic example for the agenda-setting theory is the issue of cigarette smoking in America. Prior to 1970, smoking was a major social problem in America wherein millions of people die because of cancer but it was not a very important issue, then after 25 years almost 30 million Americans quit smoking. How did this problem become an issue The answer is the anti-smoking issue got on public agendas (citizens group lobbied for legislation to force the airline industry to ban smoking on all flights), media agendas (fewer characters, both heroes and villains now smoke in primetime television shows), and policy agendas (Los Angeles pioneered in banning smoking in all restaurants that spreads to other cities). (Reference Communication Concept 6, Agenda Setting by authors James W. Dearing and Everett M. Rogers,)
These examples proves that the agenda-setting theory may be an effective replacement for individual-level or direct media effects because, essentially public agenda setting also pertains on the indirect effect to an individual, or what to think about not only on the direct effect of the media, or what to think. It gives a deeper effect to the people or to the audience.
Every theory must have a thorough research and several applications to be proven effective and correct so that people can apply it properly in the future.
In the next decades, innovative scholars will be exploring the other dimensions of agenda setting theory, going beyond politics and government. The examples I gave about the campaign scenario and how America somehow decreased the problem in smoking are just 2 of many doors to reveal the power and ethical responsibility of the news media, and how it will continue to open other intellectual doors in communication.
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