ABSTRACT
We suggest that the role of the media in the public policy process can be broadly characterized by four distinct theories. These theories fundamentally focus on the interactions between the media, collectively characterized, and politicians, again collectively characterized. The theories are summarized as follows:
Influence theory: The media tell the politicians what to think. Agenda-setting theory: The media tell the politicians what to think about. Indexing theory: The politicians tell the media what to write about.
