Political “Media Agenda Setting” to Stop Democrats Hope for Change

[Towntalk]

As one who has an all news web site, I can agree with you to a certain extent. When I decide what articles I spotlight, one of the factors that go into what will be include is based on hot topics verses run of the mill news.

My web site is aimed at the talk radio shows and listeners so the articles must be such as are able to generate controversy which generates listener participation.

Its no different than the criteria set by both the electronic news media and the print media.

I regularly rip on CNN and particularly Wolf Blitzer because his is an agenda based program (such as his pressing for an Obama-Clinton; Clinton-Obama "Dream Team".

People aren't as stupid though as you imply, they see through both the electronic and print press, and all you have to do is take a look at the many blogs.

When the media was saying that it was inevitable that Clinton would be the Democratic candidate going into the November elections, the voters proved them wrong, so obviously they were not swayed by what the media was saying.

Now the media is out to try to destroy Obama by throwing up his former pastor and church.

Wolf Blitzer on a daily basis is hammering on the "Dream Team", and if you listen carefully the greatest empathises is on a Clinton-Obama "Dream Team" even though Obama is ahead of Clinton in delegate count and the popular vote.

On the Republican side, the media is going soft on McCain in order to concentrate their attention to the Democratic race. This hasn't gone unnoticed by Republicans.

One thing is certain and that is that Joe Bag of Doughnuts is influenced by what is presented in the news, but, and this is a big but, it's a two way street over which the media has little control, ask the pollsters who on more than one occasion were left with egg on their face.

As to a so-called "Elite Class of American society" affecting the news, that may have been true in the past, but thanks to the Internet, and especially the news blogs, this is no longer true. Even CNN turns to blogs for news, and has staffers that do nothing but read them on a daily basis. [On my web site I link to all the bloggers that the MSP's use for source material.]

Finally as to what is being reported on the Obama - Clinton race doesn't it strike you as strange that it's Democrats that are eating themselves up over the race/gender issue?

The conservative talk shows talk about it after the fact, but it's the Democrats that generate the news that leads to the conservative talk.

http://farrell-report.tripod.com

[Frank Bellamy, MAP Masters of Applied Politics]

Political "Media Agenda Setting" to Stop Democrats Hope for Change

What is Media Agenda Setting and how it works?  In short you can think of it as; "The Media does not tell voters what to think...but the Media can tell the voters...What to think about".  Our news, Internet and entertainment Medias do this by selectively determining what they present to you [the voter] in their programming, reporting, timing and releases. Often times you are not aware of this gradual and effective tactic for controlling what you think about.

The 2008 Presidential Election Campaign will reveal this tactic if you observe closely. Some political researchers suggest that Agenda Setting is an action of the Elite Class of American society that controls all of us who reside at the lower stratums. Whereas some others consider Agenda Setting as public interest driven, as a need to report both sides of the story. Either way we are all told what to think about, which invariably influences our choices in the voting booth.

If you have been paying recent attention to the Obama vs. Clinton presidential race, you should know that the issues of ethnicity [race], gender and religion are the hot topics of the day. Of course we all expected these issues to be volatile but, why so early in the election cycle? It appears that guilt and political correctness is a heavy burden for the larger ethnic community and no one wants to be branded as a racist. But some inter party brave soles [Geraldine Ferraro] are taking up this mantle as the need to win this election is paramount.  More importantly, the Republican Media Pundits are all talking from the same play book of Agenda Setting to create an atmosphere to allow the voters to place these issues in the fore front of their minds.

The fun part of this Agenda Setting tactic will be to examine its effectiveness on altering the mood and thoughts of the voters over the next 6 months.  If this tactic plays out as planned, we all [Blacks and Whites] should be able to find a reason why not to vote for any political ticket with Barack Obama's name on it...so stay tuned.