[response] Twitter is taking over the agenda!

My mental tug-of-war over The Agenda-Setting Theory was materialized in class this week. Glad to know it’s still very unclear which came first… the viewer or the agenda.

What was especially interesting is the prospect that this question may be irrelevant in the future. An avid “tweeter” myself, I can definitely see how news is becoming more interactive and less “agenda set”. Though there is still a “big brother” aspect to trending topics on Twitter in that they are not usually user-generated through popular hash tagged phrases, the new medium definitely presents new opportunities to fight agenda-setting.

As we discussed, different media outlets have particular reasoning for selecting certain stories, framing them a certain way and priming their audiences. Though our conversation revolved around the negative aspects of this cycle, I found myself plucking at the positive. As I stated, the media is a business, and as such, each outlet works hard to get to know their target audience and to please them. Psychological studies point to the fact that people generally like to confirm what they already know or think as opposed to being proven wrong. That being said, the subtle or grand differences between media outlets factor into their “brand” and the particular aspects that please their audience. I generally gravitate toward CNN over FOX news because of the political bias on both sides. Though an agenda is in place, part of that agenda is pleasing the viewer. With a burgeoning media market, it’s important that outlets distinguish themselves to help us make decisions about where we go for news.

Just briefly, I always find comedy in discussions about “propaganda” as it has become such a central part of the way we communicate daily and yet still, has such a “terrifying” connotation. Abiding by the loosest definition, virtually every conversation I engage in includes some type of propaganda.

Tags: agenda setting, political bias, response, twitter