7.2 Agenda Setting and Framing

Media shapes our world by deciding what's important and how we see it. Agenda setting tells us what to think about, while framing influences how we think about it. These powerful tools affect public opinion, policy, and our daily lives.

News outlets choose which stories to cover and how to present them. This impacts what we care about and understand. While agenda setting and framing can inform, they can also oversimplify or distort complex issues.

Agenda Setting and Framing in Media

Agenda setting and framing definition

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• Agenda setting media's ability to influence the importance of topics in the public agenda focuses on the transfer of salience from the media to the public may not directly tell people what to think, but what to think about (political campaigns, environmental issues)
• Framing the way media presents information to the audience involves selection and emphasis of certain aspects of an issue influences how people interpret and understand the issue (immigration debate, gun control)

Media influence through agenda setting

• Media's role in determining the importance of issues
  • Amount of coverage dedicated to a particular issue more coverage, more perceived importance (climate change, COVID-19 pandemic)
  • Placement of stories prominent placement (front page, top of the newscast) increases issue salience (presidential elections, natural disasters)
  • Repetition of the issue over time reinforces importance in public mind (economic recession, social movements)
• Cognitive accessibility
  • Issues frequently covered by media become more easily retrievable in audience's memory priming effect (terrorism, celebrity scandals)
  • Increases perceived importance of the issue more mental "real estate" occupied by the topic (healthcare reform, racial inequality)
• Agenda setting effects
  • Public agenda issues the public considers important shaped by media coverage (job market, education)
  • Policy agenda issues policymakers consider important influenced by media and public agenda (tax policy, foreign affairs)
  • Media agenda influences both public and policy agendas interplay between the three (technology advancements, cultural trends)

Impact of framing on interpretation

• Framing devices
  • Word choice and language used in presenting the issue "illegal immigrants" vs. "undocumented workers", "estate tax" vs. "death tax"
  • Images and visuals accompanying the story photographs, graphics, and videos can evoke emotions and shape perceptions (war footage, political cartoons)
  • Sources and voices included or excluded choice of experts, affected individuals, or interest groups can influence framing (scientists, activists, industry representatives)
• Framing effects
  • Influences audience's understanding and perception of the issue frames act as cognitive shortcuts (pro-life vs. pro-choice, free speech vs. hate speech)
  • Can shape opinions, attitudes, and behaviors framing can persuade or mobilize the public (support for military intervention, consumer behavior)
  • May lead to different interpretations of the same issue based on the frame used (affordable housing as a social justice issue or a market problem)
• Types of frames
  • Episodic frames focus on specific events or individuals personalizes the issue but may lack context (mass shootings, individual welfare recipients)
  • Thematic frames place issues in a broader context, exploring causes and consequences provides more comprehensive understanding (poverty, systemic racism)

Ethics of agenda setting and framing

• Media's responsibility
  • Balanced coverage of issues presenting multiple sides and perspectives (political debates, controversial topics)
  • Avoiding sensationalism or bias in framing sticking to facts and minimizing editorialization (objective reporting, fact-checking)
  • Providing context and multiple perspectives helping the audience understand the complexity of issues (in-depth reporting, diverse sources)
• Potential consequences
  • Misrepresentation or oversimplification of complex issues framing can distort reality (stereotyping, fear-mongering)
  • Reinforcement of stereotypes or dominant ideologies perpetuating social inequalities and power structures (gender roles, racial biases)
  • Influence on public opinion and policy decisions framing can shape the direction of public discourse and decision-making (voter behavior, legislative priorities)
• Journalistic ethics
  • Objectivity and fairness in reporting striving for impartiality and accuracy (balanced sourcing, fact-based reporting)
  • Transparency in the framing process disclosing potential biases and conflicts of interest (editorial policies, journalist backgrounds)
  • Accountability for the impact of agenda setting and framing choices taking responsibility for consequences and correcting errors (public trust, media literacy)