Mass Communication Reading Test 5
Task 1: Introduction
Do some research and take some notes on the following questions:
- What do you know about mass communication and agenda setting?
- How would you define ‘agenda setting’?
- What are some of the factors associated with agenda setting?
- How does agenda setting affect our lives?
Task 2: Reading text
Read the text and check any unknown vocabulary
Task 3: Comprehension Questions
Now see if you can answer these comprehension questions.
1. Headings: choose a subheading for each paragraph – one title is not needed.
1 | C (Example) | A | Gatekeeping |
2 | B | Tangible impact of media agenda setting | |
3 | C | ||
4 | D | Is media agenda setting still prevalent? | |
5 | E | History of media agenda setting | |
F | The purpose of agenda setting |
___ / 4
2. What is the controversy?
___ / 1
- True / False / Not Given – one question per paragraph.
T / F / NG | ||
Paragraph 1 | ||
i. | Media agenda setting originated from the US media. | |
Paragraph 2 | ||
ii. | The media affecting the way the public provide information is known as ‘framing’. | |
Paragraph 3 | ||
iii. | ‘Gatekeeping’ is controlling what information to show the public. | |
Paragraph 4 | ||
iv. | Social media offers the public more options to receive the news. | |
Paragraph 5 | ||
v. | The author claims the media had no impact on how BREXIT was viewed. |
___ / 5
4.Open answer questions
Paragraph 1: What does the author claim the media do through agenda setting?
i) |
___ / 1
Paragraph 2: What three categories does Freeland place agenda setting into?
i) |
___ / 1
Paragraph 3: What does Welbers define as the information control process and the control over the selection of content that is presented by the media?
i) |
___ / 1
Paragraph 4: What four reasons does the author give for the uncertainty around the impact of media agenda setting?
i) | |
ii) | |
iii) | |
iv) |
___ / 4
Paragraph 5: What example does the author use to illustrate the impact of media agenda setting?
i) |
___ / 1
5.Reference Words
Explain what these reference words connect to: (underlined in the text).
Paragraph | Word | Connection |
1 | it | The media (Example) |
1 | its | |
2 | this | |
3 | its | |
4 | this | |
5 | their | |
5 | its |
___ / 6
6. Author’s stance.
Does the author think media agenda setting influences public opinion? | |
Yes | No [choose one] |
Why? |
___ / 2
7. Vocabulary
Key language – search for the word in the paragraph that means:
Paragraph | Explanation | Word |
1 | The underlying intentions or motives of a particular person or group. | Agenda (Example) |
1 | Control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly or unscrupulously. | |
1 | After a particular thing has happened; to show order. | |
2 | The most noticeable or important. | |
2 | A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. | |
3 | Something has received a name. | |
4 | Places, amenities, or pieces of equipment provided for a particular purpose. | |
4 | Ascertain or establish exactly by research or calculation. | |
4 | The size or proportion of something. | |
5 | A general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision. | |
5 | An irregular rising and falling in number or amount; a variation. |
___ / 10
Overall Total: ____ / 36
1. Headings: choose a subheading for each paragraph – one title is not needed.
1 | C (Example) | A | Gatekeeping |
2 | F | B | Tangible impact of media agenda setting |
3 | A | C | |
4 | D | D | Is media agenda setting still prevalent? |
5 | B | E | History of media agenda setting |
F | The purpose of agenda setting |
___ / 4
2. What is the controversy?
The media manipulate the news to suit their own agenda. |
___ / 1
3. True / False / Not Given – one question per paragraph
T / F / NG | ||
Paragraph 1 | ||
i. | Media agenda setting originated from the US media. | NG |
Paragraph 2 | ||
ii. | The media affecting the way the public provide information is known as ‘framing’. [receive not provide] | F |
Paragraph 3 | ||
iii. | ‘Gatekeeping’ is controlling what information to show the public. | T |
Paragraph 4 | ||
iv. | Social media offers the public more options to receive the news.[has allowed people to easily access information from different sources] | T |
Paragraph 5 | ||
v. | The author claims the media had no impact on how BREXIT was viewed. [Media exposure played a big role, as it influenced the priorities of the public through its coverage of BREXIT] | F |
___ / 5
4.Open answer questions
Paragraph 1: What does the author claim the media do through agenda setting?
i) | Through agenda setting, the media increase, alter and decrease public awareness on important issues. (Accept manipulate public opinion too.) |
___ / 1
Paragraph 2: What three categories does Freeland place agenda setting into?
i) | Media, policy and public agenda setting. |
___ / 1
Paragraph 3: What does Welbers define as the information control process and the control over the selection of content that is presented by the media?
i) | Gatekeeping |
___ / 1
Paragraph 4: What four reasons does the author give for the uncertainty around the impact media agenda setting?
i) | The surge in social media platforms and internet facilities has allowed people to easily access information from different sources. |
ii) | The link between the changes in the opinion of the public and the influence of the media’s coverage is often hard to determine. |
iii) | It does not work on an audience who already has a strong opinion on a certain issue. |
iv) | The information shared can be misunderstood by people as they might not view the details and miss some key points. |
___ / 4
Paragraph 5: What example does the author use to illustrate the impact of media agenda setting?
i) | Brexit. |
___ / 1
5.Reference Words
Explain what these reference words connect to: (underlined in the text)
Paragraph | Word | Connection |
1 | it | The media (Example) |
1 | its | The media |
2 | this | Framing theory |
3 | its | A news story or piece of information. |
4 | this | Agenda setting is hard to measure. |
5 | their | The UK public. |
5 | its | The national media. |
___ / 6
6.Author’s stance.
Does the author think media agenda setting influences public opinion? | |
Yes | No [choose one] |
Why? Brexit was used as an example to show the impact media agenda setting can have. |
___ / 2
7.Vocabulary
Key language – search for the word in the paragraph that means:
Paragraph | Explanation | Word |
1 | The underlying intentions or motives of a particular person or group. | Agenda (Example) |
1 | Control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly or unscrupulously. | Manipulate |
1 | After a particular thing has happened; to show order. | Subsequently |
2 | The most noticeable or important. | Salient |
2 | A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. | Assumption |
3 | Something has received a name. | Entitled |
4 | Places, amenities, or pieces of equipment provided for a particular purpose. | Facilities |
4 | Ascertain or establish exactly by research or calculation. | Determine |
4 | The size or proportion of something. | Scale |
5 | A general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision. | Referendum |
5 | An irregular rising and falling in number or amount; a variation. | Fluctuation |
___ / 10
Overall Total: ____ / 36
Task 4: Summary Writing
Take notes on the key points of the text using this outline:
1.Main idea: |
Support: |
2. Main idea: |
Support: |
3. Main idea: |
Support: |
4. Main idea: |
Support: |
5. Main idea: |
Support: |
1. Main idea: Definition of agenda setting theory. |
Support: Agenda setting theory = media – manipulates public opinion. Guides public agenda = attention to issues it chooses (Freeland, 2012). Makes suggestions on topics = influences public’s views (ibid).Instils what it wants viewers to think (Utwente.nl, 2020). Agenda setting = media increase, alter & decrease public awareness on important issues. |
2. Main idea: The aim of agenda setting theory. |
Support: Create public awareness = important issues (Freeman, 2020).More frequently & prominently issue is in media = more likely to have greater impact on the audience. 3 types = media, policy & public.“Framing” = way public receives info (Nowak-Teter, 2018) Media = guides public = what to think about & how to think about it (ibid). |
3. Main idea: The role of gatekeeping. |
Support: Gatekeeping = significant in delivering news to public (Pingree et al., 2013). Gatekeeping = defined as the information control process & control over selection of content presented by media (Welbers et al., 2018). If news/story does not suit the media’s agenda, they limit visibility to public. Gatekeeping = vital tool for media = setting agenda. |
4. Main idea: Agenda setting theory criticisms. |
Support: Assumption: more coverage = public place more importance on issue (Gauntlett, 2006). But social media & internet = allowed people to access info from diff sources = harder for media to set agenda. Criticism: it does not work on audience with strong opinions on certain issues. Criticism: info shared can be misunderstood (Nowak-Teter, 2018) = uncertainty as to scale & impact media agenda setting has. |
5. Main idea: Influencing public opinion – practical example. |
Support:BREXIT = key issues highlighted in campaign: sovereignty, economy and immigration. Diff. polls = fluctuations regarding which issue was the most important (Sogelola, 2018). Fluctuations = created by media agenda setting. Media = focused on immigration NOT imp. Issues like NHS. |
Task 5: Summary Writing
Using your notes write a 200-250-word summary of the text.
SUMMARY |
Word count: _______
Mass Communication – Model Summary
Agenda setting theory is the way the media influences public opinion by selecting and placing greater importance on the topics it wants the public to consider (Freeland, 2012). The aim is to ensure that the public are provided with the most significant matters (Freeman, 2020), and suggests that the issues reported more frequently with greater prominence are more inclined to have a greater effect. The way the public receive the reports is called “framing” (Nowak-Teter, 2018), and this illustrates that the media is not only accountable for the content, but also responsible for how the public preceives the information (ibid). One key component in news distribution is gatekeeping (Pingree et al., 2013). Defined as the information control process (Welbers et al., 2018), gatekeepers select the information that accommodates the media’s agenda, so therefore are an important factor in agenda setting. There have been a number of criticisms with this theory. Firstly, as the public can now access news from different sources, it is becoming more difficult for the media to set the agenda. Secondly, people who are passionate about certain issues are not easily persuaded. Thirdly, the public sometimes misunderstand the information reported (Nowak-Teter, 2018). Although the writer questions whether agenda setting has an impact in recent times, he does exemplify where the impact was felt: the Brexit campaign. Out of all the key issues: sovereignty, economy and immigration, the Media’s agenda was to focus on the latter knowing that this was an area of great concern for the public.
250 words
Task 6: Summary Writing Tutorial
Copy and paste your summary into this form and submit.
Summary Feedback and Return
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