I graduated from the CNM Programme with a B.Soc.Sci.(Hons) in 2007. I continued with graduate studies under the programme straight after graduation as I have great interest in communications research, especially in the area of new media. I also have an interest in teaching and I’m currently also a full-time teaching assistant with the programme.

Dr Linda Perry

Mass media and online media: who sets the agenda?

The ability of the mass media to set the public agenda was established by McCombs and Shaw (1972) and subsequent studies have confirmed their findings. Other studies have also discovered that media can set the agenda for one another. In the last five years, agenda-setting studies have focused on investigating whether online media has the ability to set both the agenda for an individual and agenda of other media. However, the relative strength of mass media and online media to set the agenda for an individual has not been compared. This thesis investigates whether mass media or new media sets the agenda for individuals who consume both types of media in similar quantities.

• Journalism
• Public relations
• Public opinion in new media