This blog pot is just a small follow-up on class the other day.
Professor Webb brought up this article called, "Why Don't We Care About Syria?"
I think it is a valid point that the Western world, seemingly arbitrarily, pays more attention to the news and tragedies of some countries more than others. In reality, what we are witnessing is the effects of agenda-setting. Every comment Putin makes headline stories while large events, such as protests, governmental abuse of power, and various human rights violations, are largely ignored because they aren't taking place in "hot" zones. This is the result of "agenda-setting."
Professor Webb also made a passing comment about the missing Malaysia Airline plane. This story, which has been talked about non-stop for the past few days by every major news station, is nothing but white noise. A fancy distraction to keep viewers entertained. In fact, it reminds me of the scene in Anchorman 2 where Ron Burgundy reports on a highway car chase on live TV for the first time. The movie is meant to be a satire of 24-hour news culture, which has encouraged overly-reporting stories that have little meaning or relevance except for their entertainment value.
Agenda-setting is one of the tools media can use to influence public opinion. The general American public's knowledge of world events is influenced by agenda-setting. Moreover, the measuring the effects of agenda-setting on public opinion provides one important way that scholars can evaluate the power of media. I hope that we spend more class time discussing agenda-setting in the near future.
Professor Webb brought up this article called, "Why Don't We Care About Syria?"
I think it is a valid point that the Western world, seemingly arbitrarily, pays more attention to the news and tragedies of some countries more than others. In reality, what we are witnessing is the effects of agenda-setting. Every comment Putin makes headline stories while large events, such as protests, governmental abuse of power, and various human rights violations, are largely ignored because they aren't taking place in "hot" zones. This is the result of "agenda-setting."
Professor Webb also made a passing comment about the missing Malaysia Airline plane. This story, which has been talked about non-stop for the past few days by every major news station, is nothing but white noise. A fancy distraction to keep viewers entertained. In fact, it reminds me of the scene in Anchorman 2 where Ron Burgundy reports on a highway car chase on live TV for the first time. The movie is meant to be a satire of 24-hour news culture, which has encouraged overly-reporting stories that have little meaning or relevance except for their entertainment value.
Agenda-setting is one of the tools media can use to influence public opinion. The general American public's knowledge of world events is influenced by agenda-setting. Moreover, the measuring the effects of agenda-setting on public opinion provides one important way that scholars can evaluate the power of media. I hope that we spend more class time discussing agenda-setting in the near future.