Perceived Agenda-Setting Effects: Factors Impacting Awareness of Media Influence

Abstract

Using the air pollution in Beijing as the example, the current study examines respondents' perceived media's impact on both issue agenda-setting (first-level) and attribute agenda-setting (second-level) effects through a self-reported telephone survey in January 2015. The results confirm media's impact on the awareness of issue agenda-setting effects but only partly support attribute agenda-setting effects. The results show perceived media credibility, direct personal experience, interpersonal communication, and media exposure all positively influence the perceived issue agenda-setting effects by individuals. Whereas media credibility and direct personal experience influence perceived attribute agenda setting effects. The findings suggest that Chinese media are effective in telling people what to think about, but not effective in telling people how to think.