Compulsory voting and TV news consumption

Abstract The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has gained popularity in educational debates, and scholars argue that the tests influence national educational governance. It has further been claimed that PISA has penetrated the news media and that public opinion on education has been affected, but few have offered empirical evidence for such arguments. The present study contributes to the area by investigating the relationship between (i) news consumption and public awareness of PISA, and between (ii) awareness of PISA and public opinion on education in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The findings suggest that consumption of newspapers and public service TV (PBS) news is positively associated with awareness of PISA; consumption of commercial TV news is negatively associated with awareness of PISA. Further, “PISA effects” on public opinion are dependent upon news consumption and political considerations. The most significant relationship is found in Norway, where mass political polarization is stronger among respondents who are aware of PISA, compared to those who are not.

Download Full-text

Of Frames and Cultures - A Cross-Cultural Comparison of TV Newscasts

Zeitschrift für Medienpsychologie ◽

10.1026/1617-6383.18.4.160 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 160-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maria Senokozlieva ◽

Oliver Fischer ◽

Gary Bente ◽

Nicole Krämer

Keyword(s):

Content Analysis ◽

Arab World ◽

Methodological Approach ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Cultural Comparison ◽

Explorative Study ◽

Cross Cultural Comparison ◽

Tv News ◽

The Usa ◽

The Relationship

Abstract. TV news are essentially cultural phenomena. Previous research suggests that the often-overlooked formal and implicit characteristics of newscasts may be systematically related to culture-specific characteristics. Investigating these characteristics by means of a frame-by-frame content analysis is identified as a particularly promising methodological approach. To examine the relationship between culture and selected formal characteristics of newscasts, we present an explorative study that compares material from the USA, the Arab world, and Germany. Results indicate that there are many significant differences, some of which are in line with expectations derived from cultural specifics. Specifically, we argue that the number of persons presented as well as the context in which they are presented can be interpreted as indicators of Individualism/Collectivism. The conclusions underline the validity of the chosen methodological approach, but also demonstrate the need for more comprehensive and theory-driven category schemes.

Download Full-text