AGENDA-SETTING IN AN HISTORICAL-PERSPECTIVE - THE COVERAGE OF THE AMERICAN-REVOLUTION IN THE GERMAN PRESS (1773-83)

Agenda-setting has been a topic of study in the field of communication s research for two decades. What is absent so far is an attempt to mak e the concept of agenda-setting useful in an historical context as wel l or an attempt to describe the historical dimension of the agenda-set ting function of the mass media. This paper analyses a process of agen da-setting which took place more than 200 years ago. The historical ev ent to which this concept is applied is the coverage of the American R evolution in the German press. Beginning in 1773, reports on the dispu te between Britain and its colonies in America proliferated, and for s everal years this became the main topic reported by the Hamburg-based newspaper which is analysed here. The process of agenda-setting is fir st described by quantity and kind of coverage. It is then considered a s a result of the course of events. On the other hand, the coverage, a s far as possible given the historical context, can be considered as t he cause of an effect. Four variables are determined to have influence d this effect: medium, topic, audience and political system. The great differences between the political system of Germany and that of Brita in or the then emerging United States of America were the reason why t he coverage in the German newspaper caused only an 'agenda of the medi a', but had no influence on the agenda of public policy.