The growth of mass media has been an opportunity for the public to obtain information that is affecting their daily lives. The large following from the public has also bolstered the advantages of the media. The mass media has, in turn, used the chance to impact public opinion by offering different types of information. It is, therefore, vital to explore how the media affects the public by delving into ways that have been utilized to influence their opinions. The mass media achieves in shaping public opinion by setting the agenda, framing, and priming. Lastly, there is a need to review how education is used by mass media to influence public choices.
The setting of the Agenda
The setting of the agenda primarily involves how the mass media news coverage determines which issue becomes the focus of the public. Despite the availability of many issues daily, the mass media play a significant role in deciding which subject should be given more attention (Stacks, Li & Spaulding, 2015). This is an implication that the mass media settle on the issue that they believe will influence the preference of the public. It achieves agenda-setting by shaping what the public sees instead of reflecting specific stories to the public.
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On the other hand, the media filters and retain what they think should make the headlines in the eyes of the public. For instance, mass media may decide to air a scandalous issue that happened a few months back and ignore a legislative session that took place today. This means that they scrutinize and in return, decide on the agenda to set for the public (Wanta, Golan & Lee, 2004). However, the mass media does not give out a verdict on the issue they air. They only highlight the sequence that they think is important and leave the rest to the public.
The setting of the agenda is a very critical channel that the media use in shaping public opinion. This because the more attention the mass media gives an issue around the nation, it is likely to be considered essential. Thus, the more times an item is given high coverage, the more it is deemed to be necessary by the public. Therefore, the public is highly motivated to make their decision based on how the media set the foundation of a particular issue. This is because the agenda-setting is very critical as it directly influences the psychology of the public, leading to an informed decision, either positive or negative.
The Framing of the Agenda
Mass media influence is again felt on the way they frame an agenda. Although in many instances, framing may be related to agenda setting, they have a thin line that separates their importance. The public is always keen on how a certain issue has been framed. Mass media utilizes the framing of issues by fundamentally focusing on a broader scope about the item on the hand instead of a topic (Scheufele & Tewksbury, 2007). This is an implication that mass media focuses on specific events and then characterize them in a certain way of meaning. This means that how the mass media present particular news, affects the choices of people on how to transform that information.
Under the framing of the agenda, mass media concentrates on how to organize a message systematically to reach the audience. Thus, the way the media puts its information directly influences how the public will develop their perception of the message. According to Scheufele and Tewksbury (2007), mass media does not focus on impacting the society to think about certain information but also sets the foundation on how the public should think. This means that mass media sets the ground on how the public will view the information they air.
The idea of the mass media to primarily set the framework of an issue that impacts the public through the news is essential. This is an implication that mass media is significant in communicating with the public. This does not only rely on how it airs the information, but also extends to how it frames specific issues. Thus, the framing of issues by the media significantly impact how the public interpret, process, and communicate the acquired data. Therefore, mass media is instrumental in shaping the opinion of the people. This is an aspect that is achieved by the way the media frames issues around the nation. Framing issues set the stage on how the people will feel about the topic, thus affecting their choices.
The Priming of the Issues
The mass media is very vital in impacting the decision of the public about salient issues in society. This aspect is embedded in the way the mass media prime different issues. Priming of topics is very effective as it builds on the perspective of the public and provides a critical comparison that makes judgment quicker (Scheufele, 2009). The set preconceptions by the public significantly affect the decision making of the society about the issue highlighted by the mass media.
Priming of issues by the mass media focuses on the psychological way through the minds of the audience. Thus, the media focuses on touching the cognitive behavior of the public, which is vital in decision making. The media is significant in the way issues are repeatedly aired to show their importance on the nation. This means that the media can change how the public perceives certain information, how they judge, act, and make critical decisions. For instance, the headline appearing in a newspaper is essential in sending a message to the reader. This is because it shows that the issue is more important than the others.
Priming of the issues by the mass media can range from violence, political, to stereotyping. All these aspects are necessary for determining how the public perceives different issues. Giving certain issues ultimate attention in a newspaper or television will build a preconception on the minds of the people. This means that it will also impact the decision-making process. Despite priming being essential in alerting the public on critical social issues, it also builds a basis for decision making. This means that the public will be given the responsibility to make either a positive or negative opinion about the highlighted issue.
Offering Education to the Public
Education has, for long a time, been an important channel of delivering daily issues to the general public. Mass media have mastered the art of education as one of the means that can be used to influence their audience. Knowledge is very significant as it offers the medium for people to get the concept and interpret it on their own (Happer & Philo, 2013). In most instances, mass media provide education on compelling issues or directly affect the daily lives of the public. This means that the matter will be accorded much attention from the audience. The highlighting of an issue in the form of education attracts the people to concentrate on the information.
Issues that affect the world are better judged when the mass media present them. Recent issues like international politics and global warming are some of the issues that are offered in the form of education by the mass media. When mass media give a compelling issue in society a priority in the form of education, it is likely to impact many people compared to how it would be offered in the form of news (Boykoff, 2011). The depth analysis of issues opens up the minds of the public and helps them make a decision. The society thus absorbs the information and help in changing their attitudes.
Conclusion
Summarily, mass media is an important channel that helps in shaping public opinion. This is an aspect that has been influenced by the mass allegiance towards different types of media. The media, however, do not insist on the public to make a decision based on the information that they air. This is because they provide the responsibility of decision making to the public through how they pass the information. The public overreliance on the mass media to get critical details has positively influenced how the mass media affect them. This is because the media is portrayed as the source of critical information affecting the nation. The mass media achieves in shaping public opinion through diverse ways. Setting the agenda is one of the most used ways by the mass media. This means that they determine which issue will be read by the public. The framing of issues by the mass media is crucial because it determines how the public will view the message. The priming of issues is also an ideal method used by the mass media to influence public opinion. Critical education in compelling matters is significant as it helps in giving the public the necessary information to make an informed decision. The media thus have an all-round effect on society. It can shape public opinion towards negativity or positivity.
References
Boykoff, M. T. (2011). Who speaks for the climate? Making sense of media reporting on climate change . Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Happer, C., & Philo, G. (2013). The role of the media in the construction of public belief and social change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1 (1); 321-336. doi:10.5964/jspp.v1i1.96.
Scheufele, A. D. (2009). Agenda setting, priming, and framing revisited: Another look at the cognitive effects of political communication. Mass Communication & Society, 3 (2); 297-316.
Scheufele, A. D., & Tewksbury, D. (2007). Framing, agenda setting, and priming: The evolution of three media effects models. Journal of Communication, 57 ; 9-20. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00326.x.
Stacks, W. D., Li, C. Z., & Spaulding, C. (2015). Media effects. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences . 29-34.
Wanta, W., Golan, G., & Lee, C. (2004). Agenda setting and international news: Media influence on public perceptions of foreign nations. Journalism & Mass
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