Agenda-Setting

in Social Media The Role of Agenda-Setting in Social Media: A Look at the Relationship Between Twitter and the Mass Medias Agenda Jordan Thorndyke Elon University

Agenda-Setting in Social Media Abstract This paper provides a look at the relationship between the agenda-setting function

of mass media and popular topics on social media sites. The researcher performed a content analysis of worldwide news headlines from three popular sources: The BBC, The New York Times, and Al Jezeera, and compared headlines to trending topics on Twitter to see how the social media site responds to the agenda set forth by the mass media. The researcher hypothesized that trending topics would mimic the major headlines from each day. The implication associated with this relationship would predict hat Twitter could be a strong and accurate measure of public opinion if the prominent conversations on the site revolved around the popular headlines of the day. The researcher found that there is little to no overlap between trending topics and major news headlines, but also identified many weaknesses and limitations associated with the study. Despite a nonexistent correlation between the news agenda and trending topics, Twitter could still be used to measure public opinion by incorporating other search tools and features.

Agenda-Setting in Social Media Research Agenda This paper examines the way that the agenda-setting function of the mass media works in social media environments. We know from the agenda-setting research of Dr. Donald Shaw and Dr. Max McCombs (1972) that the media is successful in telling the public which issues are most important for their consideration. The paper will first define agenda-setting, and then delve into the popular social media site, Twitter, and the ways that it is able to predict the most popular conversations existing on the site. Finally, the research will tie in public opinion and the role that agenda-setting and social media play in policy making. This paper seeks to answer the following question: Do conversations existing on social media sites represent the agenda set forth by popular media sources? Introduction In the early 1970s, Max McCombs and Donald Shaw, two mass

communication researchers, developed the agenda-setting theory to explain the way that the media influences and affects the perceptions of the mass public. The theory was revolutionary and groundbreaking at the time, but it only applies to traditional media such as newspapers, television broadcasts, radio broadcasts, and magazines. With the evolution of the digital age, the idea of agenda-setting in the

traditional sense should no longer be the only conversation. Citizen journalism has shifted power from traditional media sources to individuals, who can now decide what they want to read about, write about, and learn about. Citizens, as well as the media, now have the power to set the agenda. With this thought in mind, the

Agenda-Setting in Social Media researcher hypothesizes the following: The trending topics on the popular social media site, Twitter, will be representative of the major headlines of traditional news

sources and therefore will have a strong influence on public opinion and public policy. The research in this study is important because of the strong relationship

between agenda-setting and public opinion. Policy makers and opinion experts should know whether the agenda set forth by the mass media permeates social media sites. If Twitter follows with the gatekeeping function of traditional media, it can be assumed that the site has an influence on what the public thinks about. The social media site could be seen as an intervening public, meaning they take the message from the media, intercept it, and share it with a broader public. Public opinion specialists and researchers should know the role that social media plays in agenda-setting so that they can shape their messages and media strategies accordingly. Another consideration in this study: If Twitter topics are indicative of the

major news stories, then Twitter can be used as a way to measure public opinion on the topics. One study from Carnegie Melon University (2010) has found that analyzing data from Twitter yields the same results as conducting a public opinion poll (ODell, p. 1). Using the site to conduct public opinion research would save money, time, and keep participants from having to answer dozens of questions about which they have no real opinion. If people tweet their opinion on matters communicated by major news sources, their opinions are likely to be more genuine than the opinions of participants who complete surveys and polls.

Agenda-Setting in Social Media Literature Review Agenda-setting McCombs and Shaw (1972) sought to define agenda-setting in their initial study by quoting Lang and Lang, who said: The mass media force attention to certain issues. They build up public images of political figure. They are constantly presenting objects suggesting what individuals in the mass should think about, know about, have feelings about (p. 177) The researchers (1972) go on to quote, Cohen, who said the press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about (p. 177). McCombs and Shaw released their initial agenda-setting report in 1972. In

their research, they followed the 1968 presidential campaign and compared voters perception of key issues to the content published and broadcasted by the mass media. The researchers used a random sample of voters in Chapel Hill, N.C. The researchers were careful to pretest the main sources of news for the

sample and used a combination of content analysis and interviews to conduct their research methodology. McCombs and Shaw found a major correlation between voters perception of key issues and the mass medias focus on issues. The major finding in this research is that although the media tells the public what to think about, they do not necessarily tell them what to think. People still form their own opinions about issues based on their political or moral beliefs.

Agenda-Setting in Social Media As agenda-setting research developed, researchers identified two levels of

agenda-setting. Weaver (2007) identifies that the first level is focused on the relative salience (usually operationally defined as perceived importance) of issues or subjects, the second level examines the relative salience of attributes of issues (p. 142). Second level agenda-setting is often compared to the communication theory of framing because both deal with how issues or other objects (people, groups, organizations, countries, etc.) are depicted in the media than with which issues or objects are more or less prominently reported (Weaver, 2007, p. 143). Most agenda-setting research focuses on the way that messages flow from

the media to the public, but as Brosius and Weimann explained in their 1996 article, very little attention has been paid to the flow from the public to the media and within the public, although several studies provide empirical evidence of the publics ability to affect the media agenda (p. 562) They go on to say that there are several encouraging indications of the significant role of interpersonal communication in the agenda-setting process (p. 562). Brosius and Weimanns argument is important in setting up the idea that the public has an influence on determining the issues in policy and public opinion. Twitter In addition to researching agenda-setting, in order to fully understand the

scope of the research question, new terms in social media must be fully explained. The research being conducted in this study will focus specifically on the social networking site, Twitter. An article from the New York Times (2010) describes

Agenda-Setting in Social Media

Twitters history and purpose, stating that it was developed by a 10-person startup in San Francisco called Obvious (NYT, p. 1). The site functions as a micro-blogging site. Users, also known as tweeters, post messages to their followers using 140 characters or less. In Twitters early days, it was often faced ridicule, as people had a difficult time understanding its place in the social media world (NYT, p. 1). The NYT (2010) article explains: its use in Iran in the wake of the disputed

presidential election of June 2009 to organize protests and disseminate information in the face of a news media crackdown brought it new respect (p. 1). Since the Iraqi elections of 2009, Twitter has gained popularity and credibility. Politicians, celebrities, journalists, businesses, nonprofits, and governments all have a presence on Twitter. Twitter uses trending topics as a way to start mob conversations among its

users. The most popular and frequently tweeted phrases are archived so that users can see what conversations and information are being shared in the virtual world. Twitter describes its trending topics by explaining: Twitter's Trending Topics algorithm identifies topics that are immediately popular, rather than topics that have been popular for a while or on a daily basis, to help people discover the "most breaking" news stories from across the world. (Twitter.com). It is important to note, however, that trending topics have faced criticism. As one blogger from TechCrunch identified in a 2009 post: Critics have in the past correctly pointed out that one should be aware of the fact that the mob isnt always right, and unverified claims on the micro-

Agenda-Setting in Social Media sharing service often from a single user or even a single message can quickly lead to false or incomplete stories circulating rapidly and viciously

until the dust settles and the truth surfaces. And even then, its often too late as most people will have probably moved on unless it was a topic they have a continued interest in (Wauters, p. 1). Although trending topics are a good way to measure the current virtual discussions and issues, it must be noted that they are not always accurate and should not be used in place of traditional and credible media outlets, but rather in conjunction with them. Public Opinion The question remains as to the impact that Twitter and agenda-setting have

on public opinion. But more importantly, why does their contribution to public opinion matter? As Burstein (2003) identifies, most social scientists who study public opinion and public policy in democratic countries agree that (1) public opinion influences public policy; (2) the more salient an issue to the public, the stronger the relationship is likely to be (p. 29). Since the media positions themselves as the gatekeepers of information, they have an impact on public opinion and public policy because of the relationship between salient issues and public policy. Public policy in a democratic society shapes the rights and opportunities

available to citizens. For example, policy decisions on the national budget makes funds available to agencies and organizations, like the public education system or

Agenda-Setting in Social Media health system. These decisions have a major impact on the lives of constituents. Because of the relationship between agenda-setting, public opinion, and public policy, the media has a responsibility to choose the most important issues to communicate to the public . Method In order to judge the relationship between social media and agenda-setting,

the proposed method should be similar to the original agenda-setting study created by Shaw and McCombs. In this case, instead of questioning participants, the researcher performed a content analysis of current worldwide news headlines and a content analysis of Twitter trending topics. The researcher operated under the assumption that Bb comparing the two, it should become clear as to whether traditional news media is setting the agenda for the conversations existing in a social media environment. The researcher analyzed headlines from three traditional news sources: The

New York Times, The BBC, and Al Jazeera. As opposed to watching or listening to the BBC and Al Jazeera, the researcher scanned headlines on the organizations websites in order to conduct the content analysis. The top headlines from the specified time were then compared to the worldwide trending topics on Twitter. Top headlines were determined based on the headlines on the homepage of the organizations websites. Because news media now exists in a 24-hour cycle, headlines and trending topics were captured throughout a series of 5 days for a total of 5 instances. It is also

Agenda-Setting in Social Media important to note that the researcher used the global edition of The New York

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Times, so as to get a fair representation of the global issues perceived by The NYT at the time of measurement. The data table (see appendix) notes the date, time, topics, and headline at the particular moment at which the measurement was taken. Twitter was chosen as the comparative social media site due to its easy to

use search feature and the openness of the site. Unlike sites like Facebook and Wordpress, the information is organized so that users can highlight key phrases and words and search to see how other users have used the words and phrases in their tweets. There is also less privacy on Twitter. Most users have public or open profiles to encourage more followers and more conversation. Results Results from the study were recorded in a spreadsheet (see appendix) that

listed all front-page headlines and trending topics from a given time. Most headlines from April 14, 2011 to April 18, 2011 sought to shape public opinion regarding the unrest and upheaval in the Middle East. Protests in Syria, fighting in Afghanistan, elections in Africa, budget and financial issues in the U.S. and Europe, and a humanitarian crisis in Libya featured prominently across the 5-day sample. Trending topics from the same time period did not correlate to the issues featured in the news stories. Trending topics varied, with pop culture current events emerging as the dominant theme. Despite the lack of overlap between trending topics and headlines, the

researcher did notice a great amount of overlap between the various news sources.

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The news sources chosen represent different parts of the world: the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. The media from each of these regions, whether purposely or inadvertently, agreed the majority of the time on what the agenda should be for worldwide issues and public opinion. Discussion From the results included in this report, it is clear that there is little overlap

between trending topics and prominent news headlines. The content analysis of trending topics and world news headlines seldom correlated during the five-day period that was measured. Unlike the initial agenda-setting study, the current study did not take place during a Presidential election. It is possible that had the content sample been taken during an election, when public opinion issues were more heavily featured in the national discussion, the content analysis would have revealed different results. However, with the current political upheavals in the Middle East, the researcher predicted that trending topics on Twitter would reflect public opinion about these issues. The content analysis did not support the predicted results. Instead, the Twitter trending topics revealed issues that were more related

to popular culture than public opinion. The headlines from Al Jezeera, BBC, and The New York Times often overlapped during the time period examined. World media sources collectively set the agenda to the public, featuring stories on the unrest in the Middle East and the financial crisis in the United States and around the world. These topics did not feature prominently on Twitter at any point. It might be more

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relevant to study popular-culture news sources such as US Weekly, People, or Perez Hiltons blog in relation to Twitter trending topics, since these sources are more likely to set the agenda for public opinion regarding celebrity news. There was one specific instance during the time period measured where it seemed as if traditional media missed an opportunity to communicate a message that Twitter had as a prominent trending topic. April 15, 2011 was deemed a Day of Silence for gay rights. This story was not featured in any of the traditional news sources studied but was a trending topic for the entirety of the day. This is an example of social media being more indicative of the issues which people find important than the gatekeepers of traditional media. Despite the growing interest in social media as a means to organize political demonstrations and communicate supporting messages, Twitter should not be used as a main source of information to shape public opinion. Although there are instances of social media being used to positively shape the public opinion agenda, it seems that at this point, these instances are the exception rather than the rule. This idea corresponds to Brosius and Weimanns (1996) finding that little research had been done to see how the public influences the agenda of the media. There have been specific instances, such as the 2011 Tunisian and Egyptian political upheavals and the aftermath of the 2009 Iraqi election, when Twitter and social media has been the first source to break the news. Traditional news organizations reported on the way social media was used to organize demonstrations and share information in an environment in areas of media censorship. Great attention was given to Twitter

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as an innovative way to promote transparency. In these specific instances, Twitter set the agenda for the public and for traditional media. However, since these instances are sporadic and hard to predict, public opinion issues should continue to exist more as a function of traditional media rather than social media. Twitter is still being used mainly as a place to follow celebrity gossip and popular-culture, more so than world events and news. Twitters ability to set the agenda is not as strong as traditional news media. And traditional news media should understand that the most popular conversations existing on Twitter are not relating to the agenda that they are trying set.

Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research One of the major limitations associated with this study was the lack of

manpower to conduct the research. Originally, the researcher had hoped to conduct a content analysis not only of trending topics, but also of keywords and phrases included in individual tweets. Twitter offers a search feature to allow users to enter in keywords, for example: Libya protests, and see all the tweets that mention these words. In order to have a full grasp on the effect of traditional media on public opinion on Twitter, the researcher should have counted the number of tweets mentioning keywords from the headlines. However, because only one researcher conducted the study, this was not a feasible way to conduct the study. Had more researchers been involved, the data would have been easier to break up, collect and analyze. Researchers looking to delve deeper into this topic should consider this when forming their research agendas.

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Also, examining headlines and tweets for a longer period of time could have

strengthened the sample. The five-day, five-instance time period provided only a glimpse into the way that public opinion is shaped through traditional and social media. In reality, studying this topic and including a content analysis that examined months worth of tweets and headlines would have been more representative of the way that traditional media affects the conversations on social media sites. Another limitation was the three-source media sample. If more researchers

were involved, the sample of traditional news sources could be expanded to include a wider variety of publications. Researchers could study how public opinion varies on Twitter at the local, regional, national and global levels. Its possible that local news headlines from traditional media are more likely to overlap with local trending topics for a particular area. Measuring agenda-setting and social media on a global level may have been too broad to get an accurate reading of how agenda-setting works in social media environments.

A final limitation to the research conducted in this study is the lack of breaking news during the time period sampled. During the five-day period measured, there were no breaking news stories, crises, or events that took place. A stronger relationship may have existed between headlines and trending topics had a disaster or major news event taken place in the time period examined for the study. Despite the numerous limitations associated with this study, the basis for the research findings is strong. Results may have played out differently if certain circumstances were different during the research period. However, the time measured in the study was indicative of a normal news cycle. The lack of

Agenda-Setting in Social Media correlation between trending topics and headlines shows that social media, specifically Twitter, plays a minimal role in agenda-setting. Twitter cannot be expected to participate in agenda-setting as an intervening public. Public policy

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makers and public opinion researchers should be cautious when using social media as a primary outlet for shaping public opinion and policy. Conclusions Although this research failed to find a relationship between agenda-setting

and Twitter topics, other research has been conducted to find a way to use the site to measure public opinion. Just because the major topics on Twitter dont correspond to the major news headlines, it does not discount the ability to use the site as an important player in policy and opinion conversations. References to the mass medias agenda do exist on Twitter, but for now, researchers and policy makers should understand that Twitter is not a platform to judge what the mass media is telling us to think about, but could be a place to measure what it is we are thinking.

Agenda-Setting in Social Media Works Cited

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Brosius, Hans-Bernd and Wiemann, Gabriel (1996). Who Sets the Agenda: Agenda- Setting as a Two-Step Flow. Communication Research, 23, 561-580. Burstein, Paul (2003). The Impact of Public Opinion on Public Policy: A Review and an Agenda. Political Research Quarterly, 56, 29-40. McCombs, Max and Shaw, Donald (1972). The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176-187. ODell, Jodie (2010, May 11). Could Twitter Data Replace Opinion Polls? Mashable.com. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/05/11/twitter- data-opinion-polls/. Twitter (2011). About Trending Topics. Twitter.com. Retrieved from http://support.twitter.com/entries/101125-about-trending-topics. Waters, Robin (2009, May 29). So Much for Twitters Trending Topics to Indicate Breaking News. Techcrunch.com. Retrieved from http://techcrunch.com/2009/05/29/so-much-for-twitters-trending-topics- to-indicate-breaking-news/. Weaver, David (2007). Thoughts on Agenda-setting, Framing, and Priming. Journal of Communication, 57, 142-147.