Researchers have put forth the idea that the mass media have an "agenda setting" function, that the more coverage an issue receives, the more important the public perceives that issue to be. A study tested the hypothesis that the campaign agenda presented by the media would have a stronger agenda setting effect than the aggregate media agenda during the 1982 Illinois gubernatorial campaign. Four separate agendas were examined: (1) aggregate newspaper, (2) campaign, (3) editorial, and (4) public. Results showed that the campaign agenda was significantly correlated with the aggregate agenda and the editorial agenda, though the aggregate agenda and the editorial agenda were not significantly correlated. Both the campaign agenda and the editorial agenda had stronger agenda setting effect than did the aggregate agenda. Agendas also differed as they were linked to the candidates. The results suggest that the agenda setting effect could be enhanced if the media devoted more attention to the obvious linkages between important issues and the campaign. (JL)