Viewer Characteristics and Agenda Setting by Television News
- 1 January 1985
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Public Opinion Quarterly
- Vol. 49 (3) , 340-350
- https://doi.org/10.1086/268932
Abstract
Most previous studies of agenda setting by television news have failed to consider factors that might strengthen or weaken agenda-setting effects. Drawing on the findings of news recall and comprehension research, this investigation of survey data gathered from 1204 national news viewers identifies several characteristics of viewers and viewing traits that increase the agenda-setting influence of news programs. The analysis suggests that effects are greater when viewers have prior awareness of news topics through print media exposure or have some college education. Watching news programs in color and attentively also contributes to increases in agenda setting.Keywords
This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: