From headlines to minds: The agenda-setting power of one-sided news

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore how one-sided political news headlines create an impact on young audiences. Considering how this one-sided news form opinions, builds perceptions and impact people’s engagement with the content. The results were obtained through a quantitative survey method from over 100 Pakistani University students. The respondents belonged from the age group of 18-27. This paper investigated how without fully knowing the context or seeing the full picture, biased headlines can change what people see as important, trigger emotional reaction among them, and impact their beliefs. The results show that the media plays an important role in agenda-setting in today’s digital era. It is noted that people instead of being informed get misguided with constant exposure to the headlines. These selective narratives get strengthened, and it feeds into cognitive biases which leads toward quick formation of opinions. This research helps us understand how one-sided news can be amplified with social media and how it can point towards the need for better media literacy and more critical news consumption among young audiences.