Exploring the social dynamics in the U.S. democracy: Presidential and public opinions about, and media coverage of, environmental issues

This study explores the dynamics among the media, the public and the presidents on the environment, an increasingly prominent topic in post-industrial societies, in a longitudinal context in the U.S. society. Based on a newly proposed media effects model that integrates agenda-setting, priming, and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Yao, Qingjiang
Format Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Published ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2008
Subjects
Democracy
Mass communications
Media coverage
Political science
Presidents
Public opinion
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Summary:This study explores the dynamics among the media, the public and the presidents on the environment, an increasingly prominent topic in post-industrial societies, in a longitudinal context in the U.S. society. Based on a newly proposed media effects model that integrates agenda-setting, priming, and framing, this study uses data from dozens of poll questions on and federal outlay for the environment in 43 years (1965-2007), and content analysis of newspaper articles, television news program summaries and presidential documents in 28 years (112 quarters, from 1980 to 2007). The study finds evidence to support the agenda-setting and framing theories, which hold that the media are influenced by the social establishment while influencing the public. It also finds that the media are influenced by the public and that the media influence the presidents. The study also supports the idea that media effects should be analyzed at different levels, as proposed in the integrated mass communications process model. Finally, the presidents and their policies on the environment are found unresponsive to public opinion.
ISBN:0549845844
9780549845843