Who sets your agenda?

Burton Buller

In the small, rural community where I once lived, drinking coffee in the local restaurants with friends and neighbours took on ritualistic, some would say even religious, overtones. Here, one made small talk about things that mattered. Occasionally I joined in these disjointed conversations.

"See the game last night?"

"Yah. Cowboys beat 'em up purty bad."

"Think they'll make the Bowl?"

"Dry. Need rain."

"End of the week, weatherman says."

"Hope so. Say, did you hear what Newt called Clinton yesterday?"

Now I've moved to the city. Here, too, people gather daily or weekly for breakfasts of eggs fried in butter with a side of bacon ash. The group I attend also engages in small talk.

"Saw you made the paper Sunday. Union's after your business, huh?"

"Hamas. They're playing it just right. What's Arafat going to do? What choice does he have?"

"Don't know. But it looks like Phoenix is getting a new hockey team."

Wherever people get together for small talk, much of their conversation is about what they learn from the media. In fact, I find myself, like others in my group, scanning the morning's paper before showing up for breakfast so I won't feel too out of it.

One person in this group of young-to-middle-aged professionals brings a unique interest in Middle Eastern politics to the table. He once lived there. We depend on him to interpret what we all read in the newspaper about the peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians.

When we want to know what the fishing is like in northern Manitoba, we turn to someone else. Still another takes the lead in financial affairs. All get much of their information from the media, but each one has his respective arena of influence and authority.

The media depend on just such social interaction to get their message out. Media practitioners understand that much of the information they disseminate reaches people through at least a two-step process. Someone reads an article or hears something on TV or radio. That person tells others about it, adding his or her own spin to the story.

Agencies hired by political candidates to influence you to vote a certain way use this knowledge to advantage. This is what makes negative campaign ads work so well. Here is how it works.

An agency, hired by Candidate B, puts together an ad calling into question the sexual fidelity of Candidate A. A person who is opposed to Candidate A uses the message of the ad in her conversation when she meets with her friends for coffee. Immediately, the agenda of the conversation is set. The group talks about the dirt. Some likely also make the morning conversation a topic of discussion with their spouses or guests at the evening dinner table.

Next day, Candidate A places an ad accusing Candidate B of financial impropriety. Again, someone brings the accusations to the breakfast discussion. The whole thing is rehashed again--and many more times before election day.

The candidates, through their agencies, use the media to get small groups throughout the nation talking about specific topics. Media agencies know that they cannot change your mind about how you will vote. But they know that your friends and neighbours can. By getting you and your friends to talk about a specific piece of political dirt, they know enough people can by swayed to make the millions they spend worthwhile.

"Voted yet?"

"Naw. This afternoon. Thought I'd let you tell me once again which way to vote."

"Don't have too. You've got Candidate A written all over your face."

"That's what you think! Listen, did you see the latest on Candidate B?"

So, tell me. Who sets the agenda of your small talk?

Burton Buller is executive director of MB Communications, a Manitoba MB Conference radio and television ministry.

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