What is agenda-setting in media studies?

• A. The process by which media influence what topics people think are important by emphasizing certain issues
• B. The means to measure audience size
• C. The practice of setting prices for ads
• D. The process of editing headlines for emphasis

Answer: (D)

Agenda-setting is the idea that media shape what issues people consider important by deciding which topics receive more attention and emphasis. When news outlets give big coverage to a particular topic, repeat it across stories, and highlight certain angles, audiences come to view that topic as more significant in public life. This doesn’t necessarily change everyone’s opinions on the issues themselves, but it changes what people think is worth thinking about.

Think of it as the media signaling which problems deserve our attention. The other ideas in the list aren’t about that broad influence: measuring audience size is a different media metric, setting ad prices is about commerce, and editing headlines for emphasis is a newsroom practice focused on individual stories rather than the overall public agenda.