Name: Rilyn M.

Lumapay

Subject: MC203 Communication Theory (M-W-F 11:00-12:00am)

Theory: Agenda-setting Theory

A 2019 novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has spread quickly around the
world. The 2019-nCoV is a new kind of coronavirus that is not seen before. They can infect both animals
and people, and can cause illnesses of the respiratory tract. The infections can range from the common
cold to dangerous conditions like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS . People get alarmed due
to this said epidemic despite the fact that it can be transmitted through coughing and sneezing.Though
the Chinese authorities initially played down the likelihood of human-to-human transmission, it has now
become clear that there is significant and sustained transmission among people. Caused by this Chinese
National were also affected of being discriminated by the people in different countries since the said
disease was started in Wuhan, China. People tends to have fear with Chinese people even sitting with
them in the public places like busses, walking with them or even to met with them walking across the
way. It is now one of the common issue around the world that people are keep on avoiding Chinese
Nationals for health security and safety purposes.

In relation to the theory that I choose which is the Agenda-Setting Theory wherein the main
point of this theory is to put forward the idea that news media creates public agenda by making people
think things they want to show. We all know that the news media plays a big role in our society. It also
contains a major influence on the focus of public attention, those specific issues that the members of
the concerning people as a whole has the most priority at any moment. Beyond this effect, the news
media also direct our attention to specific aspects of these issues. For as we all know that one of the a
particular expression of an idea, thought, or theory of media effects, widespread fear that mass media
messages could outweight other stabilizing cultural influences such as family and community. These
combined influence of the news media on the public’s attention to and learning the key details of the
major issues of the day is reffered to as the agenda-setting role of news media.

The intellectual father of agenda-setting theory is Walter Lippmann, whose book, Public Opinion
(1922), began with a chapter titled ‘The world outside and the pictures in our heads.’ The central thesis
of Public Opinion is that the news media are the primary bridge between the very great extent or
quantity arrangement of events in the external world and the shortened views of these events in our
minds. Our opinions and behavior are a response to these pictures in our heads, not the larger outside
world. In short Agenda setting explains that the news media are a major link between the world outside
and the pictures in our heads.