Current Critical Problems in Agenda-Setting Research

After experiencing steady development over the past three decades,agenda-setting research appears to be in a period of flux. Thispaper discusses three current and critical problems that agenda-settingresearch has been facing recently: the problems of process,identity, and environment. These problems are critical becauseeach has implications that might call into question the valueof agenda-setting theory. The process problem concerns the natureof the agenda-setting process, specifically, the degree to whichthe agenda-setting process is automatic and unthinking. Theidentity problem asks whether the new concept of attribute agendasetting will become indistinguishable from framing or traditionalpersuasion research. The environment problem asks if the developmentof communication technology and the subsequent growth in thenumber and variety of news outlets will minimize the impactof media agenda setting at the social level, leading to fragmentationof the public agenda. After examining each of the problems,I suggest that the agenda-setting perspective is still worthpursuing, and I present an agenda that agenda-setting researchshould address for its future development.