On today's agenda...

In the world of mass media, the theory of agenda setting plays a significant role in deciding what is put in the news spotlight each day and, quite literally, giving people something to talk about.  Agenda-setting theory describes the way in which media gatekeepers decide what to focus attention on and how much attention a topic should receive.  Public figures and interest groups can set the agenda of media outlets for the purpose of lobbying for their cause and making sure the public hears what they have to say. Agenda setting bestows the power to control what news we hear and what issues we read about in the hands of the media, which is a powerful tool for influencing public opinion. Public opinion is influenced in large parts by the media simply because some stories are given lots of focus while some stories are left out of the news completely.

For example, when internet browsers visit the front page of Yahoo!, a selection of news and public interest stories is on display in the very center of the page, calling attention to the box. Within this box, gatekeepers have the power to put whatever stories (politics, economy, entertainment, sports, health,etc.) that they feel will have an effect on public opinion and set an agenda for discussion of those stories. In this case, agenda setting functions as a attention-catcher for the visitors of the website, influencing what stories people read and giving them topics to discuss.

http://www.yahoo.com September 12, 2010 1:46 PM