5.3 Framing and Agenda Setting

Framing and agenda setting are powerful tools media uses to shape public opinion. By highlighting certain aspects of issues and determining which stories get coverage, the media influences what we think about and how we perceive those topics.

News organizations act as gatekeepers, selecting and framing stories that align with cultural narratives. This process, along with factors like news values and potential bias, significantly impacts the information we receive and how we interpret it.

Media Influence on Public Perception

Shaping Public Opinion through Framing and Agenda Setting

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• Media framing involves selecting certain aspects of an issue and making them more salient to influence how the public perceives and understands the issue
  • Frames provide a way to think about an issue and can influence attitudes and behaviors (gun control framed as a public safety issue vs. a constitutional rights issue)
• Agenda-setting theory posits that media does not tell people what to think, but rather what to think about by emphasizing certain issues more than others
  • Media attention to an issue can increase its perceived importance among the public (extensive coverage of climate change can make it seem like a more pressing concern)
• Priming occurs when media coverage of an issue activates related concepts in people's minds, influencing their evaluations and judgments
  • Frequent news stories about a politician's stance on immigration can prime viewers to evaluate them primarily based on that issue

Influencing Issue Salience and Perception

• Issue salience refers to the importance or prominence of an issue in the public's mind
  • Media coverage can increase an issue's salience, making it a higher priority for the public (constant reporting on rising gas prices)
• Second-level agenda setting suggests that media not only influences what issues people think about but also how they think about those issues by emphasizing certain attributes or aspects
  • News coverage focusing on a political candidate's charisma and leadership qualities can shape public perception of their character and competence (profiles highlighting a candidate's successful business background and philanthropy)

Media Selection and Presentation of News

Gatekeeping and Frame Alignment in News Production

• Gatekeeping refers to the process by which media organizations and journalists select, filter, and shape the news stories that reach the public
  • Editors and producers decide which stories to cover, how much prominence to give them, and what angles to emphasize (choosing to lead a newscast with a story about a major policy proposal)
• Frame alignment occurs when journalists consciously or unconsciously craft news stories to fit within existing cultural narratives or frames
  • Presenting a complex policy debate in terms of a simple conflict between two opposing sides aligns with the common "us vs. them" framing (portraying a legislative battle as a clash between liberals and conservatives)

Factors Influencing News Coverage and Potential Bias

• Media bias can manifest in the selection and presentation of news stories, reflecting the political leanings, interests, or assumptions of media organizations and journalists
  • A news outlet's editorial stance or ownership may influence the tone and focus of its coverage (a conservative-leaning outlet emphasizing stories critical of a liberal politician)
• News values are the criteria journalists use to determine the newsworthiness of a story, such as timeliness, proximity, impact, prominence, and novelty
  • Events that are timely, local, impactful, involve prominent figures, or are unusual are more likely to receive media attention (a major natural disaster affecting a large population center)