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Do the media set the parliamentary agenda? A comparative study in seven countries
Author(s) -
VLIEGENTHART RENS,
WALGRAVE STEFAAN,
BAUMGARTNER FRANK R.,
BEVAN SHAUN,
BREUNIG CHRISTIAN,
BROUARD SYLVAIN,
BONAFONT LAURA CHAQUÉS,
GROSSMAN EMILIANO,
JENNINGS WILL,
MORTENSEN PETER B.,
PALAU ANNA M.,
SCIARINI PASCAL,
TRESCH ANKE
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6765.12134
Subject(s) - opposition (politics) , politics , media coverage , comparative politics , political science , comparative case , government (linguistics) , comparative research , political economy , political action , perspective (graphical) , public administration , sociology , law , media studies , social science , linguistics , philosophy , artificial intelligence , computer science
A growing body of work has examined the relationship between media and politics from an agenda‐setting perspective: Is attention for issues initiated by political elites with the media following suit, or is the reverse relation stronger? A long series of single‐country studies has suggested a number of general agenda‐setting patterns but these have never been confirmed in a comparative approach. In a comparative, longitudinal design including comparable media and politics evidence for seven European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), this study highlights a number of generic patterns. Additionally, it shows how the political system matters. Overall, the media are a stronger inspirer of political action in countries with single‐party governments compared to those with multiple‐party governments for opposition parties. But, government parties are more reactive to media under multiparty governments.