Memory-Setting: Applying Agenda-Setting Theory to the Study of Collective Memory

Collective memory can be viewed as consisting of two complementary components: one being the abstract knowledge and conceptions held by individuals about the past, and the other the concrete mnemonic signifiers which are thought to shape these perceptions (Bar-On, 2001). However, collective memory research has focused mostly on public representations of memory, paying far less attention to the shared memories of individuals (though see Volkmer, 2006). This gap in research stems partially from a prevalent assumption that media representations necessarily affect the memories of individuals.1 As Huyssen asserts: ‘one thing is certain: We cannot discuss personal, generational or public memory separate from the enormous influence of the new media as carriers of all forms of memory’ (2000: 29). However, as media scholarship has shown that direct effects of the media may often be weaker than anticipated, there is need for a method to empirically test the assumption of an ‘enormous influence’ of the media on the shaping of public memories. This essay proposes the application of a classic media theory — agenda-setting — in order to analyze media’s impact on the construction of collective memory.2