Agenda Setting Theory in a Newscast

Researchers Werner J. Severin and James W. Tankard Jr. stated that the agenda setting theory pertaining to the media is the media’s capability, through repeated news coverage, of raising the importance of an issue in the public’s mind. For example, the news has been closely following the British royal couple, Prince Harry and Megan Markle very heavily since their marriage back in 2018. From stories discussing their wedding, having their first child, to stepping down from their royal duties has been labeled as important to the public’s mind. This example is just one of many, that models the agenda setting theory by displaying these issues of the couple to be considered salient.

After watching a local newscast from my preferred news station, CBS 47 Action News Jax, I found a story that I had noticed had been covered multiple times. The story is on some grade schools in Jacksonville that are named after Confederate leaders being under consideration of being renamed. A year ago, many activists began to notice the various schools that had been named after leaders who were apart of the Confederacy and who owned slaves. The news began to cover stories on this issue by interviewing people who attended these schools to hear their thoughts and the steps the activists are taking to begin the name changing process.

The first example on how the newscast utilized the agenda setting theory was by first getting the word out about issue and so the audience knows about it. This allows the audience to begin developing their opinion on the issue on whether they agree or disagree with it. The second example on how the newscast utilized the agenda setting theory was by interviewing different people with differing views on the issue, so that the audience can hear their reasoning behind it. The third example on how the newscast utilized the agenda setting theory was by prolonging a series of this issue by providing the audience with updates.