Agenda-setting in public policy formation is about how civil partakers pursue to impact the perception of policy choices and itinerary. Being an on-going process, it is a very crucial part in policy formulation as selection of issues, profiling the problem and possible solutions that are regarded as feasible and its supportabilities are devised. The actors i.e. politicians, lobbyists, media, bureaucrats and other business groups and people exercise their power and influence to contest their ideas and priorities to effect these policy choices. To advocate their own agenda and ideologies, these actors device careful strategies and use different platforms.
Kim and Lee said that the use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, other forums & blogs, etc. are making more influence on people. Lee also stated that agenda building through social media causes a ripple effect and synthesizes public opinion and influences media coverage. However, these media controlled by the actors can be a powerful influence on the strategic agendas. Moreover, media has different ways to influence the agenda setting.
Agenda Setting through Social Media
With the evolution of the internet, the ways of communication have become lightning fast. Carnegie Melon University found that Twitter yields the same results as compared to conducting a public opinion poll even for the elections. This was seen in an on-going election in Kuwait. The election candidates were seen influencing the people in order to over through the old government and bring in the democracy which would be bring more freedom to their citizens. This was in sync with most of the elections happened in Middle-East that how social media influenced the outcomes.
Agenda setting power of Stakeholder-Media
Mark, Maria, Mignonm and Luk said that the stakeholder-media can exercise their powerful influence of traditional news media in order to manipulate the perception of people. These stakeholder-media defends their specific interests. They also stated that, in a consumer boycott, stakeholder-media drove down 30% of a firm’s market capitalization.
Agenda setting via proclamations and Press Releases
Business houses uses proclamations and press releases to ensure that the stakeholders understand the importance of the new agenda of the organization wouldn’t lose thus not losing confidence. For example, the oil companies joined the Global Climate Coalition and publicized for the change they had put in for the benefit of the environment. Browne published that now 40% of the British Petroleum reserves consist of natural gas and cleaner fossil fuels. Moreover, BP in 2000 changed their logo to green sunburst, launched a campaign “beyond petroleum” which promising the production for cleaner fuel and reassured the stakeholders on its core business. However, McCombs and Shaw said that press does not influence people’s thinking but it’s successful in telling them what to think about.
Agenda Setting by Judicial System
In India, Public Interest Litigation has provided political and social space enabling various groups and public at large to raise their voice & fight more effectively for fundamental rights. Public Interest Litigation as defined, aims to change, influence and guide to the policy makers. Hans Dembowski argues that Public Interest Litigations have been effective in making government answerable to NGOs.
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