Agenda setting is an integral part of human communication. In mass media communication agenda setting refers to the power and influence of the media and their ability to tell the public what they consider important. (Riaz, 2008) The idea traces back in the times of Walter Lippmann, a newspaper columnist, in 1922. The concept emerged when Lippmann realized the power conferred to the media in presenting messages and images to the public. Centrally, agenda setting revolves around deciding on what is considered important for the public consumption (Groshek, 2008). Precisely, agenda setting is the power and ability the media has in the creation of public cognizance and concern on striking issues. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the ethics play a vital role in the agenda-setting process. This paper seeks to discuss the ethical issue associated with agenda setting in communication.
First, it is imperative to underscore that communication ethics lays the moral standards upon which human communication operates. It enhances meaningful communication among individuals and group through fostering truthfulness, responsibility, fairness, personal integrity, and respect for one another. Ethics, therefore, acts as the moral executive that moderates the way communication proceeds between or among the people. In agenda setting, the media have a responsibility to ensure that that they uphold dignity, trust, and morality in delivering information to the public (Armagan, 2007). Based on Lippmann’s point of view, the media have a certain degree of influence in creating pictures in the mind of the public. As such, agenda setting entails a lot on communication and the theories associated with it. The media play a role in reorganizing the public perception of the universe and the world around and should, therefore, integrate communication ethics in the process (Armagan, 2007).
In the advent of modern technologies, communication is becoming more dynamic in such a way that it blurs traditional boundaries. As such, communication is circumventing ethics while trying to compete for attention (Drumwright M., 2012). In the new epoch of communication, the public is flared with diverse source of information including tweets, blogs, and social media, all of which are seeking the public attention without considering communication ethics boundaries. Communications ethics scholar Renita Coleman avows that ethical issues are pertinent in communication professions (Drumwright, 2012). Precisely, ethics in communication the today’s dynamic environment is critical and timely.
Scholars maintain that ethics plays a pivotal role in guiding the process of agenda setting and that it has practical utility for research professionals. They argue that ethics helps the media to focus on solutions other than criticism in their agenda setting practices. As such, ethics helps the media to ensure that any information they disseminate to the public provides recommendations and alternative best practices. One of the areas where communication ethics comes in handy is the selection of advertising messages on the internet. Agenda setting in television programming for the children is also anchored on communication ethics where the content should not contain scenes that may upset children suitable for watching such programs.
In a nutshell, agenda setting depends heavily on communication ethics. In the process of selecting and identifying what is suitable for the public consumption, the media use communication ethics principles. It is, however, worth noting that the modern form of media overlook ethics while deciding news content that they expose to the public. Social networks, for instance, do not apply ethics in their agenda setting. The content of advertisement and television programming for children require communication ethics, especially in the modern world.
References
Armagan, A. (2007). Ethics in Agenda Building Process in Press Organizations: A Behaviorial Approach. http://yayinlar.yesevi.edu.tr/files/article/84.pdf: Ahmet Yesevi University Board of Trustees .
Drumwright M., R. S. (2012, March 30). Ethical Issues in Communication Professions. Retrieved from Moody College of Communication: http://moody.utexas.edu/new-agendas/ethical-issues-communication-professions
Drumwright, M. (2012). Ethical Issues in Communication Professions: New Agendas in Communication. The Univesity of Texas : http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=bWdtAAAAQBAJ&pg=PR15&lpg=PR15&dq=communication+ethics+in+Agenda+Setting&source=bl&ots=ltzIx3UECz&sig=uWyQL10gpT5zg67fbyOAPnhm8Bw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DpVDVJHoHYeQPZ_egKAK&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=communication%20ethics%20in%20Ag.
Groshek, J. (2008). Ethics Gaps and Ethics Gains: Differences and Similarities in Journalism Students‘ Perceptions of Plagiarism and Fabrication. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 63(2), 127-145., http://www.bu.edu/com/about-com/faculty/jacob-groshek/.
Riaz, S. (2008). Agenda Setting Role of Mass Media . Global Media Journal , 2070-2469: http://www.aiou.edu.pk/gmj/artical4%28b%29.asp.
