Various actors engaged in ‘agenda-setting’ tactics to shape perception of policy choices.
Agenda-setting is a crucial part of policy formulation, involving the selection of issues, profiling the problem and possible solutions that are regarded as feasible. The process involves various actors such as politicians, lobbyists, media, bureaucrats, and business groups. These actors use their power and influence to contest their ideas and priorities to effect policy choices. With the evolution of the internet, social media has become a powerful tool for agenda-setting, synthesizing public opinion and influencing media coverage. Stakeholder-media, proclamations and press releases, and the judicial system are other ways in which agenda-setting occurs. This article explores the different methods of agenda-setting and the actors involved in shaping policy choices.