The Interplay of Agenda Building and Agenda Setting Across Policy, Media, and Public Agendas

Abstract

This study explores the dynamics of agenda-setting among policy institutions, news media, and the public within a hyperconnected media environment. We analyzed government briefings and news content from 2023, alongside survey data on public agendas in South Korea. Our network-based modeling revealed positive correlations among the three agendas. Significantly, news media emerged as a crucial factor in issue ownership, with the public displaying a greater reliance on liberal outlets. These findings underscore the media's mediating role between policymakers and the public, providing empirical support for a tripartite model of agenda-setting in contemporary political communication.