Studies on letters to the editor examine many areas, including function of the letters column. Much agenda-setting research focuses on media influence, though the principles have been applied to many fieldsThis content analysis combined the two areas in an effort to measure how letters to the editor might reflect the agenda set by a newspaper.The study evaluated all letters and news stories that appeared in The Truth during June, July, and August 2004. Items were sorted into content categories, regions of coverage, and page position to see if a relationship existed between stories and subsequent letters.The findings suggest that readers respond strongly to an agenda of local news and are more likely to write about front-page stories. Furthermore, the strong response of letter writers to other letters led the author to conclude that letters themselves can play a role in the agenda-setting process. / Department of Journalism
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/187941 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | McAuliffe Sprong, Deborah |
| Contributors | Popovich, Mark N. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | v, 65 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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