Introduction
Mass communication implies a complex communication process concerning society as a whole that emerged from rapid societal changes and technological advancements. The relevance of mass communication indicates that it is regarded as the “primary means of control and mobilization of the many” (McQuail 3). It has the opportunity to shape mass identity and provoke mass behavior in the context of politics, beliefs, and consumption and, thus, can be a beneficial topic to examine.
Main body
Research question: How the emergence of online media influences the traditional agenda-setting process and the theoretical framework whereby it occurs?
Tentative thesis: The agenda-setting theory emphasizes the powerful influence of the media on society. Perloff defines agenda-setting as the “endemic to democracy” (544). The prevailing mass media affects the agenda-setting, however, it is not the determining factor of mass communication.
The project is based on the general assumption that blogs, partisan information channels, political websites, and social media currently influence critical media outlets. Considering the bidirectional linkage between traditional media outlets and agendas in blogging, it is crucial to analyze the connection between mainstream mass media and primary political blogs.
Mass communication is inherently intertwined with the information I receive throughout the day, specifically by means of social media. It can also be received in the form of nationwide broadcast political speeches, crime stories in online newspapers, and popular new novels.
I have conducted prior research about social media’s effects on mass media communication in terms of public and political platforms through the mainstream media. Social media has a direct effect on the agenda-building process reached online, or along with the mainstream media.
Conclusion
I believe that online intermedia agenda-setting has a multi-faceted nature caused by the variety of online posts and blogs, which attracted the national media. As a result, the increased use of alternative media agencies minimized the impact of the traditional news media’s agenda-setting.
References
McQuail, Denis. “Mass Communication.” The International Encyclopedia of Political Communication, 2016, pp. 1–12.
Perloff, Richard. “Mass Communication Research at the Crossroads: Definitional Issues and Theoretical Directions for Mass and Political Communication Scholarship in an Age of Online Media.” Mass Communication and Society, vol. 18, no. 5, 2015, pp. 531–556.