Factors Influencing the Agenda-Setting Effects of Newspapers on Their Subscribers

This study uses a multi-level analysis to examine the agenda-setting effects that newspapers have on their subscribers. The relationship between the newspapers’ agendas and the subscribers’ agendas is analyzed at the intra-personal level, whereas individual factors―such as media exposure and newspaper evaluation―are examined as predictors of the strength of the newspapers’ agenda-setting effects at the inter-personal level. Based on content-analyses of five Korean newspapers and analyses of secondary survey data, this study finds some interesting results. The exposure to other newspapers and television newscasts weakens the agenda-setting effect that newspapers have on their subscribers. In terms of newspaper evaluation, depth of information is a positive predictor whereas sensationalism and refinement are negative predictors of agenda-setting effects. Implications for the newspaper industry and the usefulness of the multi-level analysis for agenda-setting studies are discussed.