Concepts

Agenda-Setting Theory

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Also Known As Agenda Setting

Media Studies

Citation Formats

General Reference

Film and Media Atlas. "Agenda-Setting Theory." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://media.interactiveatlas.org/concepts/agenda-setting-theory.

APA Style

Film and Media Atlas. (n.d.). Agenda-Setting Theory. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://media.interactiveatlas.org/concepts/agenda-setting-theory

BibTeX

@misc{filmandmediaatlas-agenda-setting-theory,
  author = {Film and Media Atlas},
  title = {Agenda-Setting Theory},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://media.interactiveatlas.org/concepts/agenda-setting-theory},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The theory that news media do not tell audiences what to think but are strikingly effective at telling them what to think about, by choosing which issues to cover and how prominently. Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw formalized it in a 1968 study of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina electorate, finding a strong correlation between what voters called the most important issue and what local news coverage emphasized.

Facts

Concept Domain

Communication studies 1

Formulated Year

1968 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Framing Theory

The two theories are taught as a contrasting pair: agenda-setting concerns what gets attention, framing concerns how it is presented.

Source Wikipedia

Spiral of Silence Theory

Both are opinion-formation theories concerned with how perceived media coverage shapes what the public believes others think.

Source Wikipedia

In Medium

Newspapers

Sources

1. Wikipedia

Wikimedia FoundationHistory section

Quote, History section

By comparing the salience of issues in news content with the public's perceptions, McCombs and Shaw determined the degree to which the media sways public opinion.

View the Source

1. Wikipedia

Wikimedia FoundationEarly research section

Quote, Early research section