The InternetThe Internet
A New FrontierA New Frontier
for Agenda-Settingfor Agenda-Setting
EffectsEffects

Agenda-SettingAgenda-Setting
EffectsEffects
1968 – Chapel Hill1968 – Chapel Hill
MEDIA AGENDAMEDIA AGENDA PUBLICPUBLIC
AGENDAAGENDA
ProminenceProminence 
PerceptionPerception
in the news ofin the news of

Constraints onConstraints on
Agenda-Setting EffectsAgenda-Setting Effects
1972 Presidential Election1972 Presidential Election
MEDIA AGENDAMEDIA AGENDAPUBLICPUBLIC
AGENDAAGENDA
Transfer of salienceTransfer of salience
Limited by Need for OrientationLimited by Need for Orientation

A 2A 2 LevelLevel
of Agenda-Settingof Agenda-Setting
EffectsEffects
1976 Presidential Election1976 Presidential Election
MEDIA AGENDAMEDIA AGENDAPUBLICPUBLIC
AGENDAAGENDA
Transfer of OBJECT salienceTransfer of OBJECT salience
Transfer of ATTRIBUTE salienceTransfer of ATTRIBUTE salience

““Taking it from the top”Taking it from the top”
Two contemporary trends –Two contemporary trends –
• Continued expansion intoContinued expansion into
new settingsnew settings
• Return to basicsReturn to basics

Five AspectsFive Aspects
of Agenda-Settingof Agenda-Setting
• Basic agenda-setting effectsBasic agenda-setting effects
• Contingent conditions forContingent conditions for
effectseffects
• Attribute agenda-settingAttribute agenda-setting
effectseffects

Five AspectsFive Aspects
of Agenda-Settingof Agenda-Setting
• Origins of the media agendaOrigins of the media agenda
• Consequences of agenda-settingConsequences of agenda-setting
effectseffects

Testing a Prediction:Testing a Prediction:
The end of agenda-setting andThe end of agenda-setting and
social consensussocial consensus
Three assumptions --Three assumptions --
• Wide access to the internetWide access to the internet
• Use of many internet sourcesUse of many internet sources
• Diverse agendas among these internetDiverse agendas among these internet
sourcessources

Wide access to the internetWide access to the internet
• A growing audience for the internetA growing audience for the internet
• Concentrated among the betterConcentrated among the better
educated, young and more affluenteducated, young and more affluent
• The digital divide between the have’sThe digital divide between the have’s
and have not’sand have not’s

Use of internet sourcesUse of internet sources
• Similar to the pattern for cable TV, a fewSimilar to the pattern for cable TV, a few
sources dominate online newssources dominate online news
• The five largest U.S. newspapers have 21.5%The five largest U.S. newspapers have 21.5%
of the circulation of the top 100 print dailies.of the circulation of the top 100 print dailies.
• The top five U.S. newspaper websitesThe top five U.S. newspaper websites
account for 41.4% of the links found on theaccount for 41.4% of the links found on the
internet to the top 100 newspapers.internet to the top 100 newspapers.

Use of internet sourcesUse of internet sources
““And the internet is a fine thing for policyAnd the internet is a fine thing for policy
wonks and news junkies – anyone can nowwonks and news junkies – anyone can now
read Canadian and British news- papers, orread Canadian and British news- papers, or
download policy analyses from think tanks.download policy analyses from think tanks.
But most people have neither the time norBut most people have neither the time nor
the inclination. Realistically, the Net doesthe inclination. Realistically, the Net does
little to reduce the influence of the big fivelittle to reduce the influence of the big five
sources.”sources.”
Paul Krugman,Paul Krugman, New York TimesNew York Times

Diversity of internet newsDiversity of internet news
CHAPEL HILL, 1968CHAPEL HILL, 1968
5 newspapers & 2 TV networks5 newspapers & 2 TV networks
Median r = +.81Median r = +.81
INTERNETINTERNET
New York Times & Washington Post onlineNew York Times & Washington Post online
CNN & MSMBC / Yahoo News & Google NewsCNN & MSMBC / Yahoo News & Google News
Median r = +.68 HomepagesMedian r = +.68 Homepages
+.78 Top three+.78 Top three storiesstories

““Taking it from the top”Taking it from the top”
• Continued exploration ofContinued exploration of
a new setting, the interneta new setting, the internet
• Return to basicsReturn to basics