Does audience skepticism of the media matter in agenda setting?

This article explores whether skepticism towards the media moderates agenda setting effects. It is hypothesized that agenda setting will be weaker for those who mistrust the media. This hypothesis was tested on three large-sample data sets. The findings show that the aggregate-level correlation of media and public agenda was weaker for skeptics, compared to non-skeptics. On the individual level, there was a significant association between skepticism and the perception of the most important problem facing the nation, controlling for various demographic and political variables.
In recent years, audience trust in the mainstream news media has been declining (Kiousis, 2000; Liebeskind, 1997). For example, Gallup polls found that the percentage of the public saying with [...]