Agenda Setting Theory

To able to understand the Agenda Setting Theory, journalism professors McCombs and Shaw believes that " the mass media have the ability to transfer salience of issues on their news agenda to the public agenda".

Agenda setting can be divided into two categories, where the first level agenda setting is more focusing on the important issues and subject where as the second level agenda setting make it focus on the specific part of the subject. It also has it several function such as media agenda- where issues that the media consider important, public agenda-issues discussed in public and are considered important, policy agenda- issues that policy makers like legislators and government officials consider important and corporate agenda- issues that business cooperation considers important.


Framing is the selection of a restricted number of thematically related attributes for inclusion on the media agenda when a particular object or issue is discussed (Griffin, 2009, p.364)There are four framing process, namely frame amplification where it is a clarification of a set of problems or issues. Frame extension where the it add the ideas or issue into an argument. Frame bridging is the linkage of two or more ideas similar to frame extension. And lastly Frame transformation where it changes the original structure and/or content of a frame to something else.


"Assignment"
" High Rise of Criminal in Country “X" ”

1st level agenda: Older citizens-spitting and urinating in public places

2nd level agenda: Lack of primary schools for younger children who are working and running amok in the streets.


In the problem statement, the focus is on both public and corporate agenda. On the public agenda, it states how the Minister of Health of country “X” sees the problem of older citizen spitting and urinating in public places. On the other hand the inadequacy of “Public Education” which has caused the rise in the criminal activity. This will reflect on the image and economy of the country as foreign company will be less willing to invest in a country that cannot manage public deviance that fosters an unhealthy environment.

It was highlighted as a major agenda that “Public Image of country “X” “should be improvised in order to get investment from other foreign country. The first problem is ‘Public Deviance’. Second problem is about ‘Inadequacy of Public Education’. Therefore, the issue has been shift from being general to more specific.

It can be observed that the main problem here is the negative image of country X, which is cause by the roles of 'Public Deviance' and 'Inadequacy of Public Education'. Secondly, the ‘the issue has been shift from being general to more specific'. In other words, it extends further into another story while retaining the main idea of the issue. One of the causes of 'Negative Image of the Country' is 'Inadequacy of Public Education', as oppose to be going to school and study, the children are working and running amok in the streets. In other words, the uncivilized citizens can destroy the hopes of getting the economy rise as no other foreign country want to invest. The main issue, 'Negative Image of Country X', was associated together with another set of frame, such as the declining of Country X's economy.


References:

Griffin Em, (2009). A First Look At The Communication Theory (7th Editon). New York:McGraw Hills. (P.359-366)

Woo,C.W.h (2012). Lecture Notes fir AC-1201 : Agenda-Setting and Framing. Universiti Brunei Darussalam.