FROM MEDIA TO OUR MIND: THIRD LEVEL (NETWORK) AGENDA SETTING RESEARCH OF TURKEY
Summary
It can be argued that the most researched theory in the field of positivist approach on the effects of the media on people is the agenda-setting. It has been 48 years since McCombs and Shaw introduced the traditional agenda-setting theory, which argued that the salience of the issues on media affects the salience of those in the public mind. Since the 1990s, the second level of agenda-setting researches, which claim that the media also determines the level of salience of the issue attitudes, started to be published. In the third level of agenda-setting research, which can be considered quite new, evidence is sought that the media affect the networks of people's minds.
Published two from Turkey, and eight worldwide researches on third level of agenda-setting, examines the issue network connections between the people’s mind and the media on people or issues using the QAP (Quadratic Assignment Procedure) correlation. Thus, the link between the image presented by the media to people and the image formed in people's mind can be tested more clearly.
Unlike previous studies, the general aim of this research is to test the third level of agenda-setting hypothesis through the agenda of national newspapers, television, internet news sites and social media (Twitter), with the public agenda survey, including the variables of age, gender, education, income level, occupation, place of residence (rural-urban), media follow-up level, the level of need for orientation and issue qualification. The research, which will be repeated twice in three month periods, will also provide the interaction between the agendas due to the time difference.
Within the scope of the research, the main news bulletins of the 3 most watched TV channels (Fox, Show, ATV) in the country, the first pages of the 3 most read newspapers (Sözcü, Sabah, Hürriyet), the most read news of the internet news sites (ensonhaber.com, memurlar.net, milliyet.com.tr) and Twitter's most posted headlines during the each day for six months will be subject to content analysis.
For network connections on the public agenda, a survey will be carried out with a sample of 2401 people in 12 provinces that will be determined by incremental-stratified method representing the country's population.
The data will be compared with the QAP correlation using the “mind mapping” method using the UciNet program and will be visualized and interpreted with the NetDdraw program.
Keywords: Communication theories, media effects, agenda setting theory, third stage agenda setting
