Agenda-Setting in the 2023 Dutch National Elections

Abstract

This thesis examines the interaction between the media agendas of the newspapers De Telegraaf (tabloid) and NRC (broadsheet) and the political agendas of four major political parties, PVV, GroenLinks-PvdA, VVD and NSC, as well as the role of professionalised political campaigning in the interaction between the media and political agendas during the 2023 Dutch national elections. Employing a quantitative content analysis, this study explores the media and political agendas through mentions of issues and political leaders across 487 newspaper articles and 636 Facebook posts and advertisements. Although the interplay between media political agendas has been studied in the past, the Dutch contemporary elections in 2023 have not been researched before, and the role of professionalisation in political campaigns has received less attention as part of the interplay between these agendas. Findings reveal distinct differences between the tabloid and broadsheet media agendas. De Telegraaf emphasised immediate, tangible issues such as taxes and public transport, alongside nature and environment and immigration, reflecting its editorial emphasis on current daily life events. NRC concentrated on long-term societal problems such as nature and environment and education and science. Both newspapers gave considerable coverage to political leaders Pieter Omtzigt and Frans Timmermans, highlighting their significant roles in the political discourse. This study further identified varied degrees of professionalisation in political campaigns. PVV exhibited many indicators of professionalised campaigns and has a significant positive correlation between their political agenda and the media agendas on the issues of nature and environment and immigration. Conversely, GroenLinks-PvdA, despite a highly professional campaign, showed no significant correlations between its political agenda and the media agendas. VVD (high professionalisation) and NSC (low professionalisation) also exhibited no significant correlation between their political agendas and media agendas. This reveals the complex interaction between the media and political agendas and the inconsistent role of professionalisation within this relationship. External factors, such as institutional factors, timing, content characteristics and a difference in campaign tools used may be an explanation for this complexity. By highlighting the interaction between the political and media agendas, this study underscores the need for political communicators, media professionals, and political strategists to understand (digital) media platforms and agenda-setting in the public discourse. Future research should explore these dynamics in different electoral contexts, platforms, and methods to further understand their implications.