ABSTRACT
The agenda-setting process has been described as a full circle, “beginning with the impact of the social system on media institutions, and then, on their members, particularly reporters and editors. These media operatives make decisions which, the evidence shows, have impact on the cognitions of the media audience member” (Becker, McCombs, & McLeod, 1975). Much of the agenda-setting model has been mapped out and strong evidence has been gathered to support the impact of the mass media agenda on that of the audience, but there has been little research on how the mass media agenda is formed in their review of the agenda setting research of the last 25 years. Rogers and Dearing (1988) identify four factors that influence news media agendas: (a) the structure of society, (b) real world indicators, (c) spectacular news events, and (d) gatekeepers and influential media. This fourth factor is examined in this chapter–the extent to which the media influence each other. We refer to it as intermedia agenda setting.
