Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Concepts in media studies:
framing, agenda setting
and media effects
Media, politics and the environment
Lecture 3, Feb 6, 2013
Miklos Sukosd
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Structure of presentation
1. Agenda setting by the media
2. Criticism of the agenda setting approach
3. Framing in the media: the concept
4. Framing in the media: a case (urbanization in
former farmland)
5. Questions regarding environmental
journalism
6. Environmental agenda setting and framing
by Hong Kong media
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Agenda setting
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What the media present: salience of issues, topics,
topic areas in media and audience perception
Causal relationship from media agenda to public
agenda (audience cognition/perception)
Case 1: Lonely people (few interpersonal contacts)
follow political agenda more – stronger agenda
setting role of the media
Case 2: Classic Iowa referendum study: counties
with newspaper and citizens’ committee:
significantly different voting patterns, self-interest
effect is reinforced by agenda setting
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Environmental agendas in Hong Kong
media and public opinion
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Air pollution (including urban and marine
traffic, factories in mainland)
Waste (including communal and e-waste)
Water pollution and sources (sea, drinking
water, underground water tables)
Nature conservation (NT, Lamma, Lantau,
Cheung Chau)
Food safety (HK relies on food imports)
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Environmental agendas in Hong Kong
media and public opinion (cont.)
6. Noise pollution (leads to stress; 1 million people
affected by excess traffic noise; add construction
work and AC/ventillation noise)
7. Light pollution (affects human lives, ecosystem,
energy consumption)
+8. Climate change and global warming (public
concerns, disappointment with government)
+9. Global population growth (leads to resource
depletion; HK policy/political debates about
immigration: mainland migrants, foreign
domestic helpers
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Criticism of agenda setting model
Roots of media agenda are missing: policy
(legislative), political, public (civic, NGO, citizen)
agendas
Methodological problems
- Content analysis and polling
- How many media sources?
Research opportunities: International comparative
research project regarding environmental in
several countries
Longitudinal research opportunities (long term
media agendas)
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Framing by media
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How to present/cover? The mode of coverage.
Missing aspect of the “objectivity approach”
Each article about the same topic or story is
different (journalists often call it “angles”)
Framing key features: selection and salience
Select some aspects of reality and make them
salient; omit or lessen salience of other
aspects
Influence over human consciousness by
communication of information/text
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Frames
- Promote particular problem definition (define
problems)
- Causal interpretation (diagnose causes)
- Moral evaluation (make moral judgements)
-Treatment recommendation (suggest remedies)
Frames by/in
- Communicators (sources, journalists)
- Text
- Receivers
- Cultural context
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Framing case:
Urbanization project in agricultural areas or suburbs
Background: legal re-classification of agricultural lands
for housing development (China: forced evictions)
1. Development/progress frame
- Working opportunities subframe
- Local infrastructure development subframe
- China: national/regional/local economic growth
2. Critical democratic frame
- Who decided and how? Transparency of
decision subframe
- Whose interest? subframe
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
3. Environmental frame
- Peaceful conditions subframe
- Ecological subframe
- Environmental legal subframe
4. Real estate frame
- Prices/markets for buyers subframe
- Real estate trends and investment for
professionals subframe
Framing power: cultural capital + financial power
Framing wars: conflicting and mutually exclusive
frames (politicians; states in international conflict)
Framing coalitions: agreement on larger frames
Masterframes: incorporating elements of frames
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Questions regarding environmental
journalism about agenda setting and
framing
How relevant are these concepts for
journalists and editors?
 How free are journalists to
- set environmental agendas with their story?
- select or define the frames of their story?
 Can stories exist without frames?
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Environmental frames in the
media
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As an environmental problem
As an environmental policy/political issue
As a historical trend
As a health issue
As an issue of environmental activism
As an educational issue
As a matter of public attitudes
As an emotional issue (humans or animals)
Other frames?
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Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Research project: environmental agenda
setting and framing by Hong Kong media
1. List of all Hong Kong media
Traditional media: television, radio, print press, online
news portals
- Social media: Facebook, Weibo, Twitter, YouTube,
online discussion forums etc.
2. Conduct content analysis
3. Conduct framing analysis
4. Conduct public opinion polls to measure public
perceptions of environmental issues
5. Compare media coverage and public perceptions to
establish agenda setting and framing effects
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