Fox Five News at Five and agenda setting in the 2008 presidential primaries, 2008

Item — Call Number: MU Thesis Gra

Identifier: b2271183

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate Communication program. The holdings are bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Arts degree.

Dates

Creation: 2008

Creator

Granato, Teresa (Author, Person)
Novek, Eleanor (Thesis advisor, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Access is by appointment only.

Access to the collection is confined to the Monmouth University Library and is subject to patron policies approved by the Monmouth University Library.

Collection holdings may not be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Research appointments are scheduled by the Monmouth University Library Archives Collections Manager (723-923-4526). A minimum of three days advance notice is required to arrange a research appointment for access to the collection.

Patrons must complete a Researcher Registration Form and provide appropriate identification to gain access to the collection holdings. Copies of these documents will be kept on file at the Monmouth University Library.

Extent

1 Items (print book) : 27 pages ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Introduction [excerpts]

In this study I want to highlight the content of television news and demonstrate if it sets a specific political agenda for the American public. The agenda setting theory proposes that mass media can have a signficant effect on what audiences know or learn from the agenda setter; in this case it would be televison news .... There are many outcomes that agenda setting may provoke. Due to television news' agenda setting power, local broadcasting stations can heighten coverage on specific issues, individuals, and organizations, which can result in Americans reprioritizing important issues .... The more attention an issue gets the more likely the public is to want to learn and develop opinions about it. Although these opinions may or may not coincide with the television news' agenda, it still popularizes the matter. All of this may then result in setting the agenda for government offices, politicians, lawmakers, and so forth ....

This study looks at Fox's local New York news channel, Fox Five at Five, to analyze news stories focusing on the 2008 political primaries. This is an important issue that needs to be popularized through more research because the public should know whether or not they are being fed an agenda. The researcher sets out to communicate the importance of television news' agenda setting power through Fox, a highly contentious network.