Intermedia agenda-setting in the age of globalization: A multinational agenda-setting test

Abstract

This study explores mass media’s agenda-setting function in a context of increased globalization to determine whether the theory, which was built upon intra-nation environments, functions in the global setting. It matches public agendas with media agendas to investigate agenda-setting effects in 11 countries worldwide, then compares media agendas across countries to consider whether inter-nation intermedia influence exists. Results suggest a general pattern of the agenda-setting function of mass media in the countries examined. The study finds evidence of inter-nation intermedia influence and thus presents a new way to look at the intermedia agenda-setting relationship – moving this research from comparisons within a local area to cross-national intermedia comparisons. Furthermore, this study checks for evidence of directional inter-nation intermedia agenda-setting. The findings suggest a complex inter-nation intermedia relationship and imply that, in the age of globalization, the simple ‘powerful West’ reasoning derived from the old days may need to be rethought and updated.