The media's emphasis on the slowly improving american economic situation in 2012 rather than the record number of long-term unemployed americans is an example of

The media's emphasis on the slowly improving American economic situation in 2012, rather than the record number of long-term unemployed Americans is an example of agenda setting.

Agenda setting is described as the "ability to influence" the importance of topics on the public agenda. Since the media focused more on the improving economic situation, the general public was less concerned about the high unemployment rates. Many people likely didn't realize this was the case if they only received their information from the media.