CANA, NOMELA M.
PR M-2:30-5:30pm

SETTING THE AGENDA

“Media not only tell us what to think about, but how to think about it, and, consequently, what to think.”

There are two concepts in agenda-setting theory and research are especially useful in Public Relations. First is the issue salience or the opinion of an individual or of the public in certain situation through their own experiences and Second is the Cognitive priming or the knowledge they gain through their own experiences.

In Agenda-setting theory of mass communication, The media impact or the public opinion and knowledge they gain through mass media sets the agenda. The Mass media gives impact on the cognitive level, cognition, what we know about or the knowledge of an individual or group without affecting the predisposition or the opinion of an individual.

Mass Media can affect the public opinion and in Public Relations there will be an instances that the effect will be a good thing or bad thing depends on the opinion of the Public in Mass media.


DIFFUSING INFORMATION AND INNOVATION

The Mass media has the responsibility to spread the new information, new ideas in a current situation to the target public. The mass media looks for new information, they gather data from different sources to spread this new ideas and information to their target public.

Diffusion of information and innovation theory explains this process. Characteristics of innovation- or new ideas- as well as characteristics of the adopters influence the adoption process. Ideas or innovations are more readily adopted if they are:

1. More advantageous than the current situation.
2. Compatible with previous experience and other aspects of the situation.
3. Simple
4. Easily tried
5. Observable with readily apparent outcomes

“Innovators” are the first to adopt new ideas, followed by “early adopters,” “early majority,” “late majority,” and “laggards.”

Mass Communication let us know the big impact of mass media to public or individual opinion.


DEFINING SOCIAL SUPPORT

In Mass media messages, individuals come up with their own opinion, in their social group they will try to explain their own opinion until they define it in each other and they will have mutual understanding until they achieve and accept changes in their environment.

Opinion was made of by individual perception to a certain issue. Each and every one of us come up with our own opinion because of our own and different experiences. We come up of different information, but through personal interaction and by attending to the mass media and through listening with opinion of others, individuals easily adopt to the current situation and observes their environment carefully. If, individuals understands their social environment with their own opinion and with the opinion of others then they will build social support