The Media and Political Agenda-Setting

Abstract

This panel calls for papers examining the relationship between the media and political agenda-setting. Most work on media and agenda-setting focuses on media-impact on campaigns and electoral results through a variety of mechanisms. Attention to policymaking and issue-specific effects is more recent. Yet, the interaction between political agendas and media attention may be paramount to the understanding of policy processes. The current panel wants to contribute to this growing body of literature. In particular we are interested in contributions analyzing the changing levels of issue attention in both media and political agendas. We want to understand better how heightened levels of media attention may affect the priorities of politicians and/or the policymaking process. Furthermore, which factors moderate the impact of media attention on the political agenda? Both case studies and aggregate analyses are needed to deepen our understanding of these processes. A further center of interest concerns the determinants of issue attention more generally speaking. Are there certain issues which naturally command more media attention? Or are there issue characteristics – historical or intrinsic (political) - that may account for differences in media attention? Finally, the interaction between public opinion, media interest and policymaking may be explored empirically. We are especially interested in papers studying those processes in longitudinal or comparative perspective.

Title	Details
Media Visibility of Political Parties	View Paper Details
When Politics Becomes News	View Paper Details
Does Partisan Politics Matter? Moderators of the Media's Agenda Setting power in Switzerland	View Paper Details
Political Agenda Setting in the Netherlands: The Moderating Role of Conflict Framing	View Paper Details
From the Press to Parliament. An Analysis of the Role of Mass Media Information in Individual Political Actors’ Parliamentary Work	View Paper Details