Is the media influencing Australia's purse strings?

During times of crisis, the mass media become a primary source of information and influence in terms of setting the agenda for public and political action. Contemporary mass media possess the innate ability to set the agenda for public opinion on various issues as well as influence what information enters an audience’s cognition and how that information is interpreted and acted upon. This study examines the presence of agenda-setting in the Australian media and explores and discusses the influence it can have over political decision making. The results identify a relationship between media coverage and foreign aid distribution as well as highlight a variety of alternative contributing factors that potentially influence political decisions. A number of further questions are also raised from the results of this project that expand on the research conducted and will potentially develop this area of study.