CRITICISMS OF THE AGENDA SETTING THEORY

Agenda Setting Theory of the Media is the relationship between the salience of a story and the extent to which people think these issues are important. McCombs and Shaw(1972) uses three basic thesis to explain the agenda setting theory as used by the media. First of all they told that news agenda by the media determines public agenda, secondly explain that the agenda setting theory enable us to locate cues as to where we should focus attention, and lastly hold that the media do not tell us what to think but rather they tell us what to think about.

The Media agenda theory basically explains how the media pays attention to certain issues while neglecting others as if they are not important. The media therefore concentrate on few issues and topics that lead that lead the public to perceive those issues and subjects as important than other issues. The media does this through their editorial policies, media selection and the filtering process to create shape for reality.

The media agenda setting theory shows that news agenda by the media affect only some people, on some issues, of some time. This means that if the media decides to put a political issues in the media, is going to affect only people who are interested in political issues in a political season. For instance should  Joy FM and other radio stations with considerable amount of audience decide to put the NPP flagbearership race into the news and make it their agenda, it is going to to affect only people who are NPP supporters and will be out of news when the political season comes to a close.

Once the media have the power to decide what should be at the center of the public attention and action, the media may put issues they have a particular interest and put in the public agenda. This may result in selfishness and the media not living to serve the interest of the masses and its analysis and interpretative function to the society. The public mostly do not consider the salience of an issue put in the public domain by the media. The media decided what the public should think about and the public do not take time to consider the relevance of an issue put before them by the media.

References
McCombs and Shaw(1972) explanation of the Agenda Setting Theory of the Media