Have you ever noticed that whenever there’s something happening in the world, from Obama’s birth certificate debate, to A-Rod’s steroids problem, to Kim Kardashian’s latest sex scandal, EVERYONE seems to have an opinion about it? Well, if you woke up today and told your roommate how excited you were about seeing Taylor Swift performing a song about Kanye West in tonight’s VMA’S then you were definitely experiencing what we call ‘AGENDA SETTING’ without even realizing it. Through the utilization of Swine flu and the latest political sideshow, the Tea Party, I will define the use of agenda setting in the mainstream news media.
Agenda setting is the idea that the media decides what stories to show audiences. This is very important since it means the media dictates what stories we should consider as newsworthy and by doing this it creates public opinion. This power has the ability to frame a situation in a positive or negative light. Since we see the same story everywhere and we hear people talking about it we assume it is an important issue. This buzz gives the story a sense of greater importance then those that are not highlighted by the media.
A great example of the media’s ability to create buzz is their constant coverage of the Swine Flu. The sensationalizing of the story created national panic. It was covered by all kinds of media and people started to panic-- Don’t lie, you know you got your flu shot too—Even though it wasn’t a big deal after all.
An example of agenda setting can be the current events taking place today by the Tea Party. While for most of us the words TEA PARTY bring back painful memories about our grandma's cat D'Artagnian, her stinky but comfortable old couch, and big fancy hats, this 'Tea party' has nothing to do with that...except the fact that your grandma is probably a member.
The Tea Party is an idea example of agenda setting on both sides of the political spectrum. Democratic leaning news outlets like MSNBC have used the antics of the Tea Party to paint all Republicans as out of touch radical activist that base their opposition to the President on unfounded claims. Republican leaning new outlets like Fox News have championed their efforts as an example of brilliant activism against the oppressive regimes of the President. Either way, both sides are sensationalizing their efforts to meet their own agenda, shaping the audiences opinions about both parties. So next time you watch the news keep in mind there is more to it than meets the eye.
Arrivederchi my friends! (aka RTF TA)
Check it out!
--> Now this what I call a TEA PARTAAY
"We have a positive vision of the future founded on the belief that the gap between the promise and reality of America can one day be finally closed. We believe that"
- Barbara Jordan
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