4th International Conference on Media and Popular Culture

It is an unobjectionable fact that media participate in formation of our daily lives by creating identities, images, and by generally influencing our views. This applies not only to politics (i.e. political campaigns), but also to the formation on how we see ourselves and others, e.g. women, ethnic groups, religious groups, etc. Agenda setting research has established decades ago that media set public agendas, and tell us both what to think about (agenda setting) and how to think about a certain issue (media framing). Popular culture, on the other hand, also affects our daily lives by fostering images and ideologies, and by selling a way of life that is presented as acceptable or non-acceptable. All these influences form our daily lives and views of others, and while the media and popular culture do not influence all people, on all issues and at all times, they do have a significant influence on our views and actions. These and other issues are the subject of the conference.