Agenda Setting in a Local Multiethnic Community: Matches and Mismatches

• In Event: Journalism and its Communities

Abstract

In response to the demographic changes and the new media environment in the U.S. society, this study focuses on examining the relationship between the media agenda and the public agenda in a multiethnic community using a semantic network approach. Our survey sample consists of 405 adults that are randomly selected to elicit information on their perceptions of pressing community issues and issues that provoke neighborhood discussion. A total of 279 news stories are coded from 10 media outlets that address local issues. We find a significant relationship between media agenda and neighborhood discussion agenda, but neither of the two agenda are correlated with the pressing community issue agenda. The results suggest a shortage of local news that may undermine the social roles of journalism and jeopardize the process of civic engagement. This study provides evidence that highlights the urgent need for solutions to the dramatically decline of local news. We discuss the implications of participatory online journalism as a possible venue to increase local storytelling.

Authors

• Zheng An, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication

• Nien-Tsu Nancy Chen, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication

• Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach, U of Southern California

• Wenlin Liu, U of Southern California

• Nan Zhao, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication

• Michael C. Parks, U of Southern California - Annenberg School