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Article published In: The Agenda Setting Journal
Vol. 5:2 (2021) ► pp.244–265

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Conference papers

Setting a Q-uestionable attribute agenda

QAnon, far-right congressional candidates and irrational domains

 | Sam Houston State University
 | Kennesaw State University
Published online: 7 February 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/asj.21004.fun
Abstract
The QAnon conspiracy blends ancient and malleable anti-Semitic bigotry with modern social media. Attribute intermedia agenda setting has rarely considered conspiracy theories. Conspiracies like QAnon are not fact-based and challenge conventional agenda setting methodologies. This study explores attribute IAS among national, regional, and local media coverage of QAnon-supporting congressional candidates in Georgia and Colorado in 2020. It introduces notions of rational and irrational agenda setting domains to fully analyze the transfer of irrational attributes across diverse media agendas.
Article outline
  • Literature review
    • QAnon & far right conspiracy
    • Connections to scholarship on fake news and disinformation
    • Agenda setting
    • Agenda setting domains and operational definitions
  • Research questions
  • Methodology
    • Candidates & news media
  • Results
    • RQ1.What attribute agenda items are most essential in national media coverage of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and the QAnon conspiracy?
    • RQ2.What attribute agenda items are most essential in regional media coverage of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and the QAnon conspiracy?
    • RQ3.What attribute agenda items are most essential in local media coverage of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and the QAnon conspiracy?
  • Discussion
  • Opportunities for future research
  • References
References (70)
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