“The process through which some issues are created and why some controversies or issues come to occupy the attention of decision makers while others do not.”
Agenda Building is distinct from Agenda Setting in its focus on the sources of the agenda. While setting describes how the media tells us what to think about, building describes the preceding struggle for influence.
Key factors include the ‘Issue Lifecycle’—where an event moves from a private concern to a public dispute—and the ‘Symbolic Politics’ used by leaders to gain media momentum.
Media Gatekeeping
Framing Theory
Resource Mobilization
Core Bibliography
Cobb, R. W., & Elder, C. D. (1972)
Participation in American Politics: The Dynamics of Agenda-Building.
Lang, G. E., & Lang, K. (1983)
The Battle for Public Opinion: The President, the Press, and the Polls.