The Integrated Media Effect: Rethinking the Effect of Media Use on Civic Participation in the Networked Digital Media Environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
pp. 1061-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seungahn Nah ◽  
Masahiro Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Civic Participation ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Media Effect ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Integrated Media ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
News Use

Based on an integrated approach to media use, this study examines the association between integrated news use and civic participation in the networked digital media environment. Data from a web survey of a national online panel demonstrate that integrated news use, or the degree to which various media platforms are integrated for news consumption, is positively associated with civic participation. Data also show that integrated political discussion and integrated political information seeking mediate the relationship between integrated news use and civic participation. This study discusses theoretical and methodological implications.

Seriously Social

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Kelly Kaufhold
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Ambient Exposure ◽  
News Consumption ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
News Use

This study examined the relationship between young adults' social media use and their news consumption. A survey of two large college populations found significant correlations indicating a negative relationship between social media use and consumption of news (n = 345). Two scenarios were tested: a complementary engagement hypothesis, which suggests that social media use may aid news consumption through ambient exposure to news, and Robert Putnam's displacement hypothesis, in which social media use may consume time and attention, thereby impeding news use. The results of the analysis suggest that social media use – specifically social networking sites such as Facebook – may in fact displace news use at the cost of leaving young people less informed.

Media and public policy

2018 ◽  
pp. 351-368
Author(s):  
Andrea Lawlor
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Effects ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Scholarly Literature ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Relationship

Mass media has taken on an increasingly influential role with respect to the design, implementation and critical evaluation of public policy. This chapter explores the many ways in which media “matters” to the policy process, by highlighting media’s traditionally limited role in the scholarly literature on public policy, then moving on to a wider discussion of the direct and indirect capacity of media to influence the policy process. Media effects on policy such as framing and agenda setting are reviewed, as are concepts such as the institutional factors that guide political media production and the relationship between policymakers, public opinion and the media. The chapter concludes with a reflection on some of the contemporary challenges for the media-policy relationship in a rapidly evolving digital media environment.

Reinforcement Effects between Digital Media Use and Political Participation: A Meta-Analysis of Repeated-Wave Panel Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 84 (S1) ◽  
pp. 355-365
Author(s):  
Jennifer Oser ◽  
Shelley Boulianne
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Reinforcement Effect ◽  
Theoretical Inquiry ◽  
Panel Studies ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract As digital media use has rapidly increased in prevalence and diversified in form, scholars across the globe have focused extensive attention on how the use of digital media relates to political participation. To assess the results of this emerging body of research, we conduct the first meta-analysis of repeated-wave panel data studies on the relationship between digital media use and political participation. The findings, based on 38 survey-based, repeated-wave panel studies (279 coefficients) bring new evidence to bear on two questions central to this literature. First, the findings provide new insight into the classic mobilization versus reinforcement debate: contrary to common assumption, the findings support a reinforcement effect, whereby those who are already politically active are motivated to use digital media. Second, the results indicate that the relationship between digital media use and political participation is durable, as studies with a longer time lag were more likely to yield positive and significant effects. Taken together, this evidence in support of a durable reinforcement effect implies the potential for digital media use to contribute to increased inequality in political participation over time. In the concluding discussion, we outline directions for further theoretical inquiry and empirical research that leverage the value of repeated-wave panel studies to make causal inferences.

scholarly journals Information seeking and communication during forced migration: An empirical analysis of refugees’ digital media use and its effects on their perceptions of Germany as their target country

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-186
Author(s):  
Martin Emmer ◽  
Marlene Kunst ◽  
Carola Richter
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Biased Perception ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Target Country ◽  
Common Perception

There is a common perception that ‘every refugee carries a smartphone’, but research on this phenomenon is limited. We conducted a representative survey of 400 refugees to Germany which provides insight into their use of digital media in preparation for and during forced migration. We also asked whether digital media shaped images of and expectations about the refugees’ target country Germany. The data show that refugees are not a homogeneous group and that usage patterns depend on regional origins. Internet use also contributed to a positively biased perception of Germany, but the effect of traditional media use was stronger.

Community Storytelling Network, Expressive Digital Media Use, and Civic Engagement

2021 ◽  
pp. 009365022110196
Author(s):  
Seungahn Nah ◽  
Sangwon Lee ◽  
Wenlin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Community Context ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Practical Applications

Grounded in Communication Infrastructure Theory (CIT), this study tests the moderating roles of expressive digital media use through the Internet, social, and mobile media between community storytelling network and civic engagement. Based on online survey data of U.S. adults in an ethnically homogenous metropolitan area, this study finds that community storytelling network and expressive digital media use significantly predict the level of civic engagement. In particular, expressive digital media use serves as a necessary condition for community storytelling network to further promote online civic participation and collective efficacy among community residents. This study thus advances CIT with an integrated approach to expressive digital media use by testing the extended theoretical framework in a different local community context. Findings offer practical applications and policy implications regarding communication, citizenship, and civic community.

scholarly journals The Relationship among COVID-19 Information Seeking, News Media Use, and Emotional Distress at the Onset of the Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13198
Author(s):  
Juwon Hwang ◽  
Porismita Borah ◽  
Dhavan Shah ◽  
Markus Brauer
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
News Media ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Television News ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
News Use

Although several theories posit that information seeking is related to better psychological health, this logic may not apply to a pandemic like COVID-19. Given uncertainty inherent to the novel virus, we expect that information seeking about COVID-19 will be positively associated with emotional distress. Additionally, we consider the type of news media from which individuals receive information—television, newspapers, and social media—when examining relationships with emotional distress. Using a U.S. national survey, we examine: (1) the link between information seeking about COVID-19 and emotional distress, (2) the relationship between reliance on television, newspapers, and social media as sources for news and emotional distress, and (3) the interaction between information seeking and use of these news media sources on emotional distress. Our findings show that seeking information about COVID-19 was significantly related to emotional distress. Moreover, even after accounting for COVID-19 information seeking, consuming news via television and social media was tied to increased distress, whereas consuming newspapers was not significantly related to greater distress. Emotional distress was most pronounced among individuals high in information seeking and television news use, whereas the association between information seeking and emotional distress was not moderated by newspapers or social media news use.

scholarly journals Understanding the relationship people in their early adulthood have to small-town news and paywalls

Journalism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ragnhild Kristine Olsen
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
News Media ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Small Town ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Value Assessment ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Depth Interviews

Within the context of a high-choice, digital media environment, this study explores how people in their early adulthood perceive the value of news from the small town where they reside and their attitude towards paying for it. Based on qualitative data from in-depth interviews and a media landscape sorting exercise, the study demonstrates how those willing and unwilling to pay differ in terms of lived and anticipated value experiences with small-town newspapers. The study posits that there is a misalignment, for them personally and for the local community, with regard to their perception of small-town news media’s value. What might not be important for them as individuals is nonetheless experienced as important for the society they live in. The study expands on studies of perceived worthwhileness of news media in a small-town context and introduces the concept of societal worthwhileness to encompass media users’ incorporation of collective interests in their value assessment of news media.

scholarly journals Moroccan TV Broadcasters and Viewership Changes in the Digital Age: An Exploratory Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 232-237
Author(s):  
A. Dadouh ◽  
A. Aomari
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Consumption Choices ◽  
The Relationship

In the first two decades of the 21st century, the relationship between viewers and television underwent major changes, with the advent of technologies that led to new viewing habits. This situation starts now to question the ability of broadcasters to build and retain loyal viewers. As a response, broadcasters are adapting their contents and distribution to fit in the new digital world. While studying the possible impacts of the efforts made by broadcasters, we complete our analysis by addressing also the factors that guide consumer choices through media use models, which focus on the psychological, emotional, personal and environmental aspects of media consumption choices. Through interviews with Moroccan broadcasters, this paper aims to identify which behavioral aspects and innovation levers broadcasters should take into account to build audience loyalty in the era of digital media.

scholarly journals Conceptualizing media users across media

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ike Picone
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Studies ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Academic Vocabulary ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Audience Studies ◽  
Cross Media ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Made In

Many academic works and authors have added to our understanding of the changing audience dynamics that emerged with the wide adoption of digital media by exploring audiences turning into prosumers, producers, pro-ams and so on. Gradually, and rather unnoticed, another denominator seems to have entered our academic vocabulary: the user. Although widely adopted, many media scholars remain wary of this notion, as it would undermine theoretical advancements made in audience studies. At the same time, the almost natural adoption of the term in media studies indicates that ‘user’ is at least intuitively better suited than ‘audience’ to address people in relationship with media today. The article makes the case for ‘media user’ and ‘media use’ as not merely suitable terms but also as more encompassing analytical concepts, especially in light of understanding cross-media use. First, an argumentation is developed for adopting these terms by showing the analytical benefits of talking about media users when addressing people ‘floating’ across media. Subsequently, the notion of media use is grounded in both traditional approaches and recent advancements in media studies. Special attention is given to the notion of audience activity and how it translates into a cross-media environment. The article concludes with a critical reflection on both terms in relation to notions such as participation and user empowerment.

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