Back from a short break off university I am reintroduced into JOUR1111 with the topic of agenda setting, according to Dr Bruce Redman just a babble of theories. Today we learnt the social construction of reality - what is a journalisms roles in constructing public opinion.
There are four agenda in the public setting:
- Public agenda - What public perceive as important
- Policy agenda - issues that decisions makers think are salient
- Corporate agenda - What big business and corporations value are important
- Media agenda - issues discusses in the media
Media shapes what society thinks wants - sees as important (this makes me want to reject my aspiring career of a journalist - I want to report on things society wants - for individuals to make their own decisions on whats important - this seems to me a system of propaganda... but I guess thats just part of the industry) Like Adolf Hitler's 'wing gal' of Leni Riefenstahl, she shaped to the media the news about Hitler through propaganda tools - movies, books, clubs.
Mass media set the agenda by emphasising specific topics - media shapes peoples minds.
Dr Redman then went and showed us multiple media agenda settings - illustrating how the media makes the audience think and what to think about. Maybe journalism isn't for me if I'm meant to be, in strong terms, controlling the minds of the public. I believe this is propaganda.
This lecture made me double think my career choice, can journalism be unbiased? Would I be able to report what society actually needs to hear, or what the media wants them to hear?
Hopefully the coming lectures and tutorials cement my future in journalism.
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