This study examines the phenomenon of intermedia agenda setting in the context of the social media age, with a particular focus on how traditional players continue to exert dominance over the news agenda during election periods. In today's digital era, social media platforms have become influential sources of news and information, allowing individuals to access a wide range of perspectives and news sources. However, this study argues that despite the proliferation of social media, traditional media outlets still hold significant power in shaping the public's perception of election-related issues. The concept of intermedia agenda setting posits that news agendas are not solely determined by a single media source but rather are influenced by a complex interplay of traditional and social media. While social media platforms provide individuals with the ability to share and discuss news stories, traditional media outlets often serve as the primary sources of information for social media discussions. This study aims to shed light on how traditional media outlets maintain their dominance in the news agenda during election times. It explores factors such as the professional credibility and journalistic standards associated with traditional media, their established networks and resources, and their ability to set the narrative and frame important issues. Additionally, the study investigates the role of social media in amplifying and disseminating the news topics initially set by traditional media. By examining the interplay between traditional and social media, this research contributes to our understanding of how the news agenda is shaped in the social media age, particularly during election periods. The findings of this study have implications for media practitioners, policymakers, and the general public, as they offer insights into the factors influencing the dissemination and perception of election-related news in today's media landscape.

6. In the past, researchers believed that the content found in a specific outlet or platform was only determined by journalists'
choices. However, on social media platforms, there are different people involved, including citizens and politicians, who
can also influence the discussions and content. Considering social media outlets as all the same overlooks the diverse
influences and roles played by different individuals involved.
MEASUREMENTOF AGENDA:
ROLL OF INDIVIDUALS:
TIMELAGS:
The traditional way of measuring an agenda by looking at how important certain issues are in just one news outlet or
platform may give us some general ideas, but it doesn't really capture the full picture of the news stories. Nowadays, the
news environment is fast-paced with many different sources and events happening quickly.
The traditional method of measuring news coverage by using fixed time intervals worked well for media with set
schedules. However, in today's social media era, where news spreads instantly, this approach is not effective. Short time
delays don't capture how news moves across different media sources, and the irregular intervals at which media
influences each other make the analysis more difficult.

7. NEWS VS. INFORMATION:
CONTEMPORARYMEDIA DYNAMICS:
To include social media in the intermedia agenda-setting framework, it's important to differentiate between news and
general information. News refers to the result of journalistic work that informs and offers valuable perspectives on the world.
Live updates, interviews, and background programs, on their own, may not be considered news, but they can become
relevant to news when journalists cover them.
This study explores the roles of various media platforms in today's news media landscape. It looks at traditional forms of
media, news websites, and social media. Twitter is specifically chosen as an example of social media because it is widely
used by journalists and has the potential to impact the news process. While some studies indicate that Twitter may have
limited influence on setting the agenda compared to traditional outlets, a thorough analysis shows that both social and
traditional media can shape the agenda and, at times, even support each other

9. RESEARCH QUESTIONAND DATA COLLECTION
SAMPLE COMPOSITION:
FOCUS ON ELECTIONCAMPAIGNSETTING:
This study focused on the 2014 election campaign in Belgium and aimed to analyze media content across various platforms.
The researchers gathered data from newspapers, television, radio, news websites, and Twitter to capture a wide range of
interconnected news items.
The sample included Flemish media outlets and Twitter accounts. It consisted of five print newspapers, three news
websites, two television newscasts, six radio newscasts, current affairs TV programs, and election-specific TV shows. The
researchers also selected relevant Twitter accounts, including journalists, media organizations, politicians, civil society
organizations, and influential users.
The study recognized that during an election campaign, media attention focuses on upcoming events. This context
provided an opportunity to capture a large volume of interconnected news items. The interactions between journalists,
politicians, and citizens reflected their day-to-day work but at a faster pace.

10. TIMEFRAMEAND DATACOLLECTION
CODING AND CATEGORIZATION:
NEWS STORIES IDENTIFICATION:
The media content was collected between May 1 and May 24, covering regional, federal, and European elections held
simultaneously on May 25. This timeframe allowed for the inclusion of news leading up to the election day. The data included
both media content and tweets mentioning election hashtags.
The collected news items were manually coded using a comparative agendas project codebook. Each item was
assigned issue codes, and variables were created to identify the sender of tweets as a political actor, media actor, or
another actor. Up to three issue codes could be assigned to each item, with the most important one used for analysis.
The researchers categorized the news items into news stories, representing coverage of specific events in terms of time
and place. Guidelines were followed to identify and name news stories based on their subject, predicate, and object. This
approach facilitated the grouping of news items related to the same event.

11. FILTERINGAND SAMPLE SIZE:
ANALYSISAPPROACH
RESULTS:
IMPLICATIONSAND COMPARISON:
The analysis consisted of two parts. The first part involved aggregating the data into a traditional time-series structure to
examine the attention given to different issues by each media platform. The second part focused on analyzing news
stories to understand how they transferred between platforms and the roles of each platform.
News items that were not considered part of a news story were filtered out. This resulted in a final sample size of 5,260
individual items grouped into 414 multiplatform news stories. The focus was on news stories that spread beyond one
news platform, capturing the dynamics of news dissemination.
The analysis revealed that newspapers and television mainly followed agendas rather than setting them. News websites,
radio, Twitter media, and Twitter political accounts had more influence as agenda setters. Twitter accounts not related to
politics had limited connections to other platforms, and their agenda-setting impact was minimal.
The study highlighted the strengths and limitations of both traditional time-series analysis and the news story
perspective. By comparing the results from both approaches, the researchers gained insights into the distinct roles and
influences of different media platforms in shaping the agenda during the election campaign.

12. MAY 02, 2025

15. Future studies should explore the impact of contextual factors on intermedia
agenda-setting, examine the evolving role of traditional media outlets in
news dissemination, and develop alternative methodologies to capture the
dynamic nature of agenda setting in the digital age.