When Politicians React to the Media: How the Attitudes and Goals of Political Elites Moderate the Effect of the Media on the Political Agenda

Abstract

The media’s role in shaping politicians’ priorities (political agenda-setting) is usually examined at the institutional level. However, we do not know how politicians’ individual-level characteristics—specifically their attitudes and goals—moderate their responsiveness to the media in real-life. The current study is the first to examine this by using the Israeli case. Results highlight the arena function of the media: the more politicians represent their party-line over public demands, the more responsive they are to media agenda. This indicates that party representatives try to promote their party in the media, which become an arena for partisan conflicts. However, no relationship is found between the degree to which politicians feel overwhelmed by information and media responsiveness.