Concept: Media influences what people think about, not what they think.
Developers: Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw (1972)
Origin
Study: Conducted during the 1968 U.S. presidential election in North Carolina.
Findings: A correlation between topics media highlighted and what voters considered important.
Key Points
Media Cues: Indicate the importance of a story (e.g., headline size, front-page placement).
Impact: Directs public focus and discussion on particular issues.
Expansion of Theory
Framing (1998): Introduced by McCombs.
Concept: Media influences not just the topic, but how it’s perceived.
Example: News framing asylum seekers as an economic burden vs. a humanitarian issue.
Examples
Australia: Asylum seeker stories framed by news outlets (e.g., Daily Telegraph) to highlight economic/social burden.
Evidence
Research: Multiple studies show correlation between media coverage and perceived issue importance.
Relevance
Significance: Although originating in the 1970s, the theory remains relevant for understanding media influence on public discourse.
Conclusion
The agenda-setting function theory continues to be a useful framework for analyzing media influence and public communication. It helps decipher how issues are prioritized in public consciousness through media coverage.