Lauren Nugent

Kristopher Stroup
Interpersonal Communications
5/7/15
Agenda Setting Theory & Second Level Agenda Setting Theory
Air transportation accidents/disappearances, shark attacks, muggings, crime in
general these are all things portrayed in both news media and television shows. The
effect of media consumerism on societal views of reality can be seen in instances
such as the aforementioned. This is referred to as mean-world theory and/or
cultivation theory. However, I found myself asking what the opposite of
this theory is. Which led me to the agenda setting theory.
What is the difference between the media presentation of plane crashes and the
media presentation of something such as human trafficking? Why does the general
publics reception of one differ from the other, when the one that actually does occur
more often is the one that isnt believed to do so? Framing. Framing has to do with how
the news portrays an issue and is not based on the issue itself, but more the applicability
of the issue after it is reported (Martinelli, 105) A lot of people go to the beach and fly
on planes, but human trafficking isnt quite as relatable. Instead of people seeing news
reports or TV shows and thinking, That could happen to me, they prefer to think,
Thats not going to happen to me. However, more relevant to this study of the media
audiences reception of human trafficking is agenda setting.
The agenda setting-theory basically says that if something is covered more
frequently and prominently on the news then the audience will regard that topic as
important. For example, the recent rebellion and riots in Baltimore have had a massive
amount of new coverage, so if a random person who regularly watches the news was

Lauren Nugent
Kristopher Stroup
Interpersonal Communications
5/7/15
asked to describe recent stories on human trafficking and the Baltimore riots, he/she
would most likely be able to provide a more detailed description of the goings-on in
Baltimore than human trafficking.
Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw first mentioned the agenda-setting theory
in Public Opinion Quarterly in 1972; they suggested that the media sets the public
agenda. The article states the following, Readers learn not only about a given issue, but
also how much importance to attach to that issue from the amount of information in a
news story and its position. In the case of the news media, there exists an extension of
this theory called Second Level Agenda Setting.
Human trafficking is a regular and widespread occurrence, but news coverage of
it is infrequent and generally only covered in large metro areas. The media has set the
agenda in this way. Or rather they have failed to do so. Studies have shows that broadcast
stories tend to be seen as more pressing, but stories printed in the newspaper can be
recalled even after two weeks. Salience cues also have an effect on remembrance and
determination of importance to readers. These include placement (such as front page
news) and repetition in coverage. The categories found to be remembered the most often
are international problems and economy. After salience cues come selection- or, which
stories are selected by the news media. Salience cues tell the reader/viewer the
importance. Selection is, therefore, the first step, but cues like the headline displayed in
bold, appearing on the front page, or being broadcast on different networks have proven
the public to issues demanding attention (Conway 41). The last issue relevant to agenda

Lauren Nugent
Kristopher Stroup
Interpersonal Communications
5/7/15
setting theory is the actual type of story and the priming effect of a story. The mass
media can essentially desensitize the story to the public if it is overplayed.
In closing, the media could set a new agenda for human trafficking. Make it toppriority, as it is something that occurs in everyday life. Just not everybodys everyday
life- but that doesn't make it any less important. Set a new agenda, media.

Lauren Nugent
Kristopher Stroup
Interpersonal Communications
5/7/15
Works Cited
Martinelli, Danielle. "U.S. Media's Failure to Set the Agenda for Covering Sex
Trafficking." Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications 3.2 (2012).
<http://www.studentpulse.com/a?id=837>

Fitzpatrick, Terry. "How to ... Use the Media to Help Combat Human Trafficking." The
Guardian. The Guardian, 3 June 2013. Web. 7 May 2015.

Conway, Mike, and Jeffrey R. Patterson. "Today's Top Story? An Agenda-Setting And
Recall Experiment Involving Television And Internet News." Southwestern Mass
Communication Journal 24.1 (2008): 31-48. Communication & Mass Media Complete.
Web. 3 Mar. 2012.