Final answer:
Agenda setting is the media's process of choosing which topics merit public attention, shaping public discourse, and potentially influencing legislation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of agenda setting refers to the media's power to decide which issues or topics receive public consideration. When acting as an agenda setter, the media determines which stories will be reported, thus playing a key role in shaping the public discourse. Major journals and broadcasters signal to society the importance of various matters by the frequency, prominence, and elaboration with which they cover them. This influences which subjects enter the governmental sphere for action and review.
Moreover, the media employs techniques such as framing, priming, and gatekeeping to craft and emphasize narratives, predispose audiences to certain viewpoints, and filter the information that reaches the public. For example, framing health care reform in terms of access can make that aspect more salient, potentially influencing legislative consideration. Likewise, priming affects public perception on issues like the economy ahead of key decisions such as presidential elections.