Agenda Setting
With week 10 being Mid Semester break (how did that come round so quickly?!) I was relatively keen to get back and stuck into the remainder of the semester with the summer holidays in sight.
This weeks topic for Journo1111 being Agenda Setting, Dr Redman began with the quote 'How the media constructs reality' and from there had me interested to understand the ins and outs of exactly this.
He outlined the four 'agendas' of the media being as follows and commented on the fact that it is important to understand they are all interrelated:
1.Public Agenda - what the public sees as important
2.Policy Agenda - issues decision makers think are important
3.Corporate Agenda - what big businesses and corporations deem as important
4.Media Agenda - issues discussed by other media
Significant I believe is the point made amongst the lecture slides presented that the media does not simply 'reflect and report' reality but rather 'filters and shapes' it. This in turn affects the perceptions and opinions of issues developed by the greater majority of society and is therefore the reason it is so important to have good journalists aiming for ethical reporting with balance and morality.
It is also of absolute significance to take from this understanding that one should not always trust the media for if the audience doesnt keep its wits about it then the media will literally assume control of individuals and their thoughts and in turn larger numbers of society.
The scary and vivid image of the world created by George Orwell in his horrific masterpiece '1984' that I studied in year 12 comes to mind.
The media is without argument vital in ensuring local, national and international events and issues are known by the wider population, to help cure ignorance and people getting too caught up in their own small day to day life. It is an essential reminder that we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves. Within saying this however, the nature of it requires each of us to be critical, to remain on edge and seek out the truth by talking to a variety of people, reading and watching a number of sources, so as to not be blinded by one person or corporations opinions or view on certain topics, especially those that may be heated and controversial for significant reasons.
Till the next installment,
Peace.x
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