Author : Jamias, Serlie B.

Summary : This study tried to test the agenda-setting hypothesis that the media "cause" people to think about certain issues and thus, can mold public opinion. A panel of 488 respondents from three rural communities in Laguna (200 from Los Banos, 180 from Calamba, and 108 from Bay) was interviewed at three survey periods: 25 January - 1 February 1987 (wave 1), 8-11 May 1987 (wave 2), and 22-24 May 1987 (wave 3). The respondents were asked what newspaper they read, their manner and frequency of reading, and what national issues they considered important to merit government attention. Their responses were coded into 16 major content categories. Media agenda was measured by content analysis of five newspapers, namely: Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Malaya, Manila Times, and Manila Chronicle for a five-month period (1 January - 22 May 1987). All news stories with at least three paragraphs in all pages were coded into the same 16 content categories used for analyzing respondent answers. Four content analysis procedures were used: 1) total number of news items; 2) total number of front page items; 3) column inch spaces; and 4) print prominence index formulated by Watt Jr. and Van den Berg (1978). Causal relationship between media content of the most frequently and widely read newspapers and the audience agenda was tested using the Cross-Lagged Panel Correlation (CLPC) technique. The Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance (W) was used to determine the similarity of the newspapers' contents and the issue similarity of the three rural communities. Variations in media use and interpersonal discussion before and during the the election campaign were analyzed using the Fisher's T-test. Results showed significant differences in issue contents and emphasis among the five newspapers. Issue importance or public agenda were also significantly different among the three rural communities and other partitioned groups. Variations were due to different environmental factors, socio-demographic characteristics, interpersonal communication behavior, political orientation, political behavior, and real life experience or situation of the respondents. Thus, reasons for issue importance were more "personalistic" rather than "nationalistic" since issues were viewed more for their negative effects on the respondents' job/business, living standards, and family's future rather than on their importance to the nation. Causal relationship or the press' agenda-setting effect was proven strong only for heavy and light media readers but not in Bay (media-poor environment), weak in Calamba, and negative in Los Ba¤os (media-rich environments). Factors for differential effects were analyzed and recommendations were given to strengthen the agenda-setting function of the Philippine press in molding rural public opinion. Changes noted during election were: a) reading additional newspapers and shift to more objective non-partisan newspapers; b) increased readership for features, socials and arts, and political campaign news; and c) increased interpersonal exchange with others.