increase the knowledge of general public on the particular issue at hand; therefore the magnitude of the problem grows in the minds of the general public. While incidents such as national disasters, crisis, or powerful symbols tend to beg the attention of governments or external indicators and in essences push the specific issue onto the legislative agenda. Another, though less successful, way is for governmental officials themselves to place the issue on the agenda. Legislators, through emails, phone calls, and letters, are always being updated by their constituents on local matters which can turn into a larger problem, thus forcing the hand of the legislator to take action and propose a bill to amend the situation. Certain social problems never become issues even though proponents and adversaries exist; problems require exposure as well as media coverage before they can be considered public issues. Attention to an issue, given by the media, members of the public, or policy-makers, enhances the power held by select individuals or organizations in influencing the decision process. An example is the Watergate scandal, which thrust abuse of presidential power into the public eye, eventually forcing President Nixon to resign. This was the first among many political issues to become a social concern due to media influence. It was the event that ultimately set the trend of modern media concerns and subsequent exposure in politics. Another public revelation which included televised hearings was an arms-for-hostages deal with Iran, in which members of President Regans staff may have disobeyed the law and misled the public, increased general distrust in the government and augmented reliance on the media for in-depth coverage of major events and current social problems.Thus, the media is a major player in advancing certain concerns to the agenda and eventually to the Senate and House calendars. Politics and the media have long been intimately...
