Documents the fruitfulness of the agenda-setting metaphor in communication research via three features: the steady historical growth of its literature; the integration of communication research areas; and the ability to generate new research problems across a variety of communication settings. (SR)

Seeks to add insight to the complex intellectual history of agenda-setting research by identifying over-time patterns of publications and of bibliographic citations. Addresses issues about the past, present, and future of agenda-setting research. (SR)

Reviews the conceptual position of agenda-setting research, identifies methodological problems associated with it, and proposes a newly defined criterion variable--the "problematic situation"--as a cognitive approach to the metaphor that mass media tells people "what to think about." (SR)

Describes in broad terms the state of research in agenda setting, defines the key problems, and suggests a variety of alternative perspectives that, if given the chance, will enrich the study of this topic domain. (SR)

Tests two important theories in the history of mass communication research, agenda setting and cultivation, by comparing the effects of watching local television news with direct experience measures of crime on issue salience and fear of victimization. Finds that direct experience had no agenda-setting effect but did predict fear. (SG)

Presents a mathematical model to explain the public's issue priority by integrating media agenda-setting and social interaction. Finds that the public's issue priority was influenced by both media and social interaction. (RS)