TrumpTrumIt has been well documented, primarily through agenda-setting research, that media impact the public's perception of which issues are important political topics (Behr & Igengar, 1985; Dearing, 1989; Kimsey & Hantz, 1978; McCombs & Shaw, 1972). The media essentially tell the public which key policy issues to think about and to some degree how they should form opinions about those issues (McCombs, Llamas, Lopez-Escobar & Rey, 1997). Individuals only have knowledge of those issues through

more »

... media exposure if they do not have access to direct experience (Noelle-Neumann, 1984) and must form their opinions on the subject through the frames set by the media (Wanta, Golan & Lee, 2004).It has been well documented, primarily through agenda-setting research, that media impact the public's perception of which issues are important political topics (Behr & Igengar, 1985; Dearing, 1989; Kimsey & Hantz, 1978; McCombs & Shaw, 1972). The media essentially tell the public which key policy issues to think about and to some degree how they should form opinions about those issues (McCombs, Llamas, Lopez-Escobar & Rey, 1997). Individuals only have knowledge of those issues through media exposure if they do not have access to direct experience (Noelle-Neumann, 1984) and must form their opinions on the subject through the frames set by the media (Wanta, Golan & Lee, 2004).This study explores how belief in social media outlets is an important aspect of agenda melding in an online environment. In this study, the researchers employ agenda melding as a theoretical lens to explore how belief in social media outlet can predict support for the proposed Border Wall. The researchers surveyed 232 people to find out how belief in media outlet contributes to building an online media agenda in the context of immigration. Social media networks continue to grow in influence when it comes to understanding important political issues and the way they manifest themselves in mainstream United States immigration policy.