Congressional Agenda-Building: Examining the Influence of Congressional Communications from the Speaker of the House

This study explored the role of the Speaker of the House in shaping the salience of political issues and attributes in news media coverage and policymaking in 2007. Specifically, it analyzed 533 press releases, 433 news articles, and 47 daily Congressional calendars of business. Significant correlations were found supporting traditional first-level and second-level agenda-building linkages between Congressional communications and media coverage; whereas no relationships were found between issue or attribute salience in news releases and actual Congressional activities. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. LITERATURE REVIEW With the growing complexity of today’s political landscape, the role of public relations in political communication is rapidly accelerating in importance and consequence, yet the impact of public relations in government and politics is not a new phenomenon. As McKinnon, Tedesco, and Lauder (2001) write, “since the birth of American democracy, public relations practices have played a key role in shaping our politics ” (p. 557). Further illustrating this point, Thurber (1998), when discussing trends in research on politica