Setting the Agenda
Start by having students access the student chapter Setting the Agenda and use the interactive activity there to write a brief response to this quote: “News doesn’t tell us what to think, but it does tell us what to think about.” (Paraphrased from Press and Foreign Policy by Bernard Cohen.)
Ask students what they think this means: what is the difference between telling someone what to think and telling them what to think about? Do they agree with this statement? Why or why not?
After students have discussed this question for a few minutes, explain that even if we as individuals don’t read or watch the news, it has what’s called an agenda-setting effect. Research has consistently shown that when something gets a lot of news coverage, people are more likely to think that it is important (and vice-versa.)