Agenda-Setting Theory
Many people get all or most of their news from social media. For this project, we are going to be analyzing the content of several social media sites from major news sources, paying particular attention to social media standards, practices, and regulation.
Where do you get your news? Start by going to one major news site’s FACEBOOK page (CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc.) Try another different news site’s TWITTER feed, and third choose another social media site such as Reddit, Pinterest, or another (preferably one you use, if there is one).
Analyze the sites in a 3-5 page total paper. In your analysis, be sure to include the following:
General introduction to your thoughts on the social media you studied
Several social media practices you observed (e.g., what gets the most interaction?)
Examples of regulation of social media and discussion of such regulation (Is it good, bad, or indifferent? How could circumstances change the situation?)
Analysis of ethical concerns (e.g., can you see examples of bias?)
What is the culture of each site – how do users seem to respond to questionable items? (Is racism or open mocking ignored or pursued?)
Conclusion of your findings
Sample Solution
The “capacity (of the news media) to affect the significance put on the themes on the public agenda” is referred to as agenda-setting. The study of agenda-setting explains how the media tries to persuade viewers and create a hierarchy of news importance. Media attention is given to countries that are regarded to have more political power. The media’s bias on issues such as politics, the economy, and culture, among others, drives the agenda-setting process. The rapid rise and expansion of these perspectives was aided by the evolution of agenda-setting and laissez-faire components of communication research. Agenda-setting has phases that must be completed in a precise order for it to be successful.
