The Appeal of Qualitative Methods to Traditional Agenda-Setting Research

Abstract

Agenda-setting research is vigorously pursued within the general field of communication research. Despite this, the agenda-setting model continues to be criticized on methodological grounds. Some of the criticisms arise out of the field's heavy reliance on quantitative methods. This article argues that qualitative methods can be used to counter some of these criticisms. This is done using research on media coverage of the environment in the West African country of Ghana. Environmental issues have featured prominently in research aimed at proving that the media do indeed influence the public agenda. However, even within this subarea of agenda-setting research, there is no agreement on the agenda-setting effects of the media. This study adopted qualitative methods and found that the media indeed influenced the environmental agenda of the public. The qualitative approach helped to avoid some of the criticisms levelled against traditional agenda-setting methodology.