Agenda-Setting Theory

Overview

Agenda-setting theory posits that mass media may not tell people what to think, but powerfully influences what they think about. By selecting, emphasizing, and repeating certain issues, media transfers issue salience from the media agenda to the public agenda.

When to Use

Trigger conditions:

• Analyzing how media coverage shapes public issue priorities
• Evaluating the relationship between media attention and public concern
• Designing strategic communication to elevate issue salience

When NOT to use:

• When analyzing HOW people think about issues (use framing theory instead)
• When studying long-term worldview formation (use cultivation theory instead)
• When examining minority opinion suppression (use spiral of silence instead)

Assumptions