Agenda-setting theory, commemoration, and stickers

This study explores the role of war-related commemorative stickers in participating in the mediation of public memory and discourse in Israel following the October 7, 2023, massacre. Utilizing agenda-setting theory and memory setting, the authors examine how these grassroots visual communications personalize the fallen, celebrate their values, and frame their deaths within a broader moral narrative. Through ethnographic and visual data analyses of 600 stickers, the authors identify three main themes: personal connection, core values, and the struggle between good and evil. Their findings reveal that these stickers contribute to the visibility and salience of those lost within the public sphere. The integration of traditional stickers with digital media, such as QR codes linking to memorial pages, exemplifies an innovative approach to mediating public engagement. This study points to the relevance of non-traditional visual media for public discourse and suggests that visual communication deserves greater attention in media and communication research. In this context, commemorative stickers appear to operate as everyday mnemonic forms that make individual loss visible and provide a modest but meaningful medium for public remembrance.