I doubt the average news consumer ever stops for a moment and seriously considers agenda-setting theory. That’s not to say they don’t have an idea of what’s going on; I’ve often heard people ask why the media says one thing, when the truth appears to suggest another. But even if everyone spent their days talking about the media’s agenda, for many reasons, it probably wouldn’t change. While it would be nice for all journalists to parse information and deliver the clearest picture of the truth, these days that’s the job of critical thinking news consumers.
I don’t believe everyone at The New York Times or the LA Times are sitting at their desks plotting the agenda according to some grand, evil scheme. I’d like to think news judgments are being made daily around the country - from local to regional to national - on a set of ethical, journalistic principles that reflect the demographics and desires of respective constituencies. And for those local publications that have withstood the purchasing power of large conglomerates and remain financially able to cover their neighborhoods and cities, good news judgment is alive and well.
But as the circle of coverage for an organization gets wider and wider, the harder and harder it becomes to have an accurate perception of what news is needed, desired and/or appropriate. This means local newspapers in New Hampshire have to make far fewer assumptions about their audience than, say, The New York Times. As assumptions increase, so does the probability that an organization will engage in agenda-setting. The wide-audience effect on agenda-setting is especially problematic for cable news channels that are attempting to serve an enormous amount of people. Without a good knowledge of the audience - an intimate knowledge, like that of local newspapers, beyond basic demographics - the channels don’t have solid principles or as direct of an accountability, and therefore they seem the prime culprits in agenda-setting.
It’s not an easily fixed problem, but a constant awareness is a necessity for good journalists, whether they are writers or editors. Some factors that contribute to agenda-setting include: financial pressure, corporate pressure, limited “official” sources, political bias, what people want (entertainment) versus what people need (truth) and shrinking reporting staffs.