This discussion of agenda setting reviews early theories of mass communication and traces the beginnings of agenda setting theory to the 1968 United States presidential campaign, during which researchers found a high correlation between what the media were saying about issues and what the people thought were important issues. The results of more recent agenda setting studies are summarized, and the report concludes that the concept can be broadened in scope and perspective to include influence on cultural values, sexual norms, and attitudes toward work and leisure time, as well as on public opinion toward local and national issues. (AEA)