The Issue of Relevance of Agenda-Setting Theory to the Online Community

The Agenda-Setting theory of mass media has played a crucial role in determining how the media affects consumers since the theory’s conception. While studies and discussions have continued to demonstrate the relationship between traditional media and consumers, little has been done in the discussion of Agenda-Setting and the realm of media. The importance of this discourse cannot be more critical, as the entire media landscape continually moves into an online realm. Older vertical media have set roles with limited access to general information, so Agenda-Setting can be applied; but how does the application change when dealing with new horizontal media in which access to information is opened and traditional roles are challenged? This discussion does not hold back in raising critical questions about the shortcomings of Agenda-Setting Theory in new media and attempts to answer the question of whether or not Agenda-Setting theory is still applicable in the said new, “un-massed” media landscape.