Media exposure and the engaged citizen: How the media shape political participation

Media exposure is widely known to increase institutional forms of political participation such as voting. Less well understood is whether media exposure also affects protest, a less institutional form of engagement. This paper examines the mechanics through which this relationship operates by considering the media's direct and indirect effect on voting and protesting, via political trust, efficacy, and knowledge. We make these comparisons by analyzing the unique Jennings panel dataset that collects information on respondents at three separate points. The results show that media exposure affects voting more than protesting and that these relationships operate through different mechanisms. While media exposure leads to voting because it increases political knowledge, it is associated with protest via external political efficacy. Furthermore, while this relationship is causal for voting it is only correlational for protest. The results illustrate the importance of disentangling forms of political engagement when considering media effects.     

The ostrich effect: Selective attention to information

We develop and test a model which links information acquisition decisions to the hedonic utility of information. Acquiring and attending to information increases the psychological impact of information (an impact effect), increases the speed of adjustment for a utility reference-point (a reference-point updating effect), and affects the degree of risk aversion towards randomness in news (a risk aversion effect). Given plausible parameter values, the model predicts asymmetric preferences for the timing of resolution of uncertainty: Individuals should monitor and attend to information more actively given preliminary good news but “put their heads in the sand” by avoiding additional information given adverse prior news. We test for such an “ostrich effect” in a finance context, examining the account monitoring behavior of Scandinavian and American investors in two datasets. In both datasets, investors monitor their portfolios more frequently in rising markets than when markets are flat or falling.

Silver screen sorting: Social identity and selective exposure in popular film viewing

While research in media and politics has long stressed the importance of television, the political impact of movies has largely been ignored. However, a small body of literature suggests that both political docudramas and popular films may have the capacity to change the issue attitudes of viewers. Building on that work, this paper examines the potential for selective exposure in movie viewership. We develop a theory that there is large-scale sorting into popular movies rooted in social identity theory. We argue that sorting is a result of two processes: film studios marketing films towards particular social groups and individuals sorting into films based on social group characteristics. We test this theory using a unique dataset in which undergraduate students were asked to rate trailers for a variety of political docudramas and popular films. Our results indicate that there is indeed widespread sorting into popular films on the basis of social identities rooted in socio-demographic traits.     

北京地区大众传媒建构国家形象的策略

本文运用系统论、区域传播、全球化、资源位等理论初步探析了北京传媒塑造我国国家形象的策略,即树立传播的"球土化"意识,处理好京派文化、民族文化、世界文化这三重视域的关系,充分利用京城发生的"媒介事件",研究不同传媒资源位的不同策略,营造系统、高效、立体的传播网络。     

To tweet or not to tweet: Exploring the determinants of early adoption of Twitter by House members in the 111th Congress

The adoption of communication forms like Twitter presents students of congressional behavior an interesting case to examine the intersection of technology and politics. Twitter represents a social media venue that provides an immediate and direct link between the Member of Congress (MC) and constituents, which entails a benefit and a potential risk. In this paper, I examine Twitter use in the 111th Congress in order to better understand congressional early adoption of new technology. The primary question addressed is what systematic determinants shape the decision to adopt Twitter as a component of an MC's media strategy. Using data collected from MC Twitter accounts and the 2008 congressional election, I find partisan, cohort, and ideological determinants on early Twitter adoption. Republicans are more likely to use Twitter even in multivariate analysis; ideological extremism influences the use of Twitter. In contrast to past technologies, district demographics have no systematic effect on the early adoption of Twitter.     

Appearance Culture in Nine- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction

Little research has investigated sociocultural factors in the development of body dissatisfaction in preadolescent girls. This study examined the combined influence of media and peer factors. The participants were 100 girls aged nine to 12 years. The girls completed questionnaire measures of media exposure (television and magazines), peer influences (appearance norms, appearance conversations), internalization and body dissatisfaction. Their height and weight were also measured. About half (49 percent) of the girls displayed a desire to be thinner. The influence of sociocultural factors was confirmed in addition to biological determinants, such as body mass index. Their exposure to appearance‐focused media was not directly related to their body dissatisfaction, but was indirectly related via their conversations about appearance among peers. The path analysis showed that peer appearance conversations demonstrated a significant relationship with internalization of thin ideals, which was, in turn, significantly related to body dissatisfaction. Like their adolescent counterparts, preadolescent girls are also exposed to appearance ideals presented in the media and manifested among peers. The results provided evidence for the existence of an ‘appearance culture’ consisting of interrelated media and peer influences among girls as young as nine to 12 years of age.     

Loneliness and the use of social media to follow celebrities: A moderating role of social presence

Because social media provide users with the possibility of an easy way to communicate with celebrities in society, it has become a more common practice to follow celebrities through social media. However, there exists few studies that examine how people’s individual characteristics are related to their celebrity-following behavior. In this regard, the current study examines whether celebrity followers’ loneliness is associated with the following behavior of their favorite celebrity. Data were collected through an online survey (N = 210). Primary findings suggest that celebrity followers’ loneliness is positively related to frequent visits of their favorite celebrity’s social media, greater social-interpersonal motive for following the celebrity, and greater enjoyment of learning about personal life stories of the celebrity. Social presence is found to be a significant moderator that can intensify more favorable parasocial relationship perceptions with the celebrity.     

Brace yourselves: Reporting of rising food costs in the Australian print media

This paper explores media reporting of the rising food costs in five Australian newspapers in the 12 month period from 1^st September 2007 to 31^st August 2008. This period encompassed a Federal election in which rising food costs were identified as an election issue and a national inquiry into grocery pricing established to honour pre‐election promises. Content analysis of newspaper articles demonstrates an increasing interest in the print media in food prices at this time, with thematic analysis revealing the dominance of political concerns and the economic fears of the Australian public. This paper explores these issues. It compares the rhetoric and reality of rising food costs through reporting of the causes and impact of increased food prices and explores the apportioning of blame for rising food prices and the solutions which arise from this through media reporting of political and personal strategies for managing the risk of food insecurity. The paper will also identify the social processes that contributed to the newsworthiness of rising food costs at this time.     

外推背景下的总体性:对总体性的一种辩护

针对后现代思潮对“总体性”这个辩证法范畴进行的猛烈批判 ,从外推角度进行一种辩护 ,不失为一种新的解决问题思路。从这一角度看来 ,现代制度的进步能在特定范围内克服自悖谬性 ,但在更大的范围内就做不到了。在现代制度中 ,自悖谬、令人难受的东西常常是被外推到远处 ,越出“观察”之外。自悖谬和那些人们不愿看到的东西就常常存在于更大、更远的“总体”之中。在这个意义上 ,消解一切总体、拒斥一切宏大叙事 ,不但难以做到 ,而且恰恰迎合了现代性的内在需求 ,因而在意识形态上是现代性的同谋。总体思维方式必须拯救 ,不能抛弃     

数字化时代呼唤传媒的信息增值

在现代社会 ,大众传播是人们获得外界信息的主要来源 ,是实现国家和社会目标的重要手段。随着客户需求的提高和信息加工、处理技术的增强 ,在未来的社会中 ,政府、企业和个人的生存与发展都将越来越倚赖于大众传媒 ,特别是由大众传媒所提供的信息增值服务。信息增值服务必将成为传媒业未来不容忽视的一个重要经济增长点 ,也是数字化时代值得关注的一项重要社会和经济发展的课题     

Literary reading in the context of media culture

1980年代中国曾掀起文学阅读的高潮,但从1990年代始,文学阅读则进入一个缓慢的衰退期,新世纪以来,其衰退步伐进一步加快。在文学阅读式微的过程中,新媒介扮演着重要角色,其影响主要体现在：因文字转换成图像,接受者的感知结构得以重塑;因读屏代替了读书,阅读过程的沉思冥想无法启动。同时,新媒介还破坏了“孤独”的阅读状态,削平了接受的深度模式。从媒介文化角度看,文学阅读的式微是印刷文化遭到视觉文化重创后的结果,但由于新一代人已生活在视觉文化的环境中,他们游离于文学阅读将变得在所难免。此种阅读状况既会影响文学生产也会波及文学研究。而守护文学阅读并抵制新媒介的人,其私人记忆、感知结构甚至身体习惯恰恰是被印刷文化建构而成的。因此,游离或守护文学阅读的背后,其实隐含的是一种媒介文化的冲突。     

The role of the media in developing a shared moral understanding

Over the last few decades, research has shown that media outlets are good at telling people what to think about, fulfilling what researchers call the agenda-setting role of the media. To that end, media outlets from social media to newspapers can play a pivotal role in developing a shared moral understanding.     

法治化进程中媒体监督的改革思路

强化媒体舆论监督是我国法治化进程中的一个重要环节.媒体监督改革的基本原则是在媒体自主与法律自治之间求得平衡,在新闻自由与公民权利之间求得平衡.媒体监督的法制保障大致包括促进媒体自主,扩展新闻自由;提高政府公开性,扩展公民的知情权;恰当衡量各种利益,诸如要达到新闻媒体的批评监督权与名誉权、隐私权之间的利益平衡;抑制媒体权力的滥用,保障司法的独立和公正.     

The proximity filter: the effect of distance on media coverage of the Christchurch mosque attacks

ABSTRACT

The intense media coverage in New Zealand and Australia of the Christchurch mosque attacks exhibited significant disparity in editorial decision-making between the two countries. This research interrogates the different approaches taken in newsrooms and how these differences were manifested in broadcasts and publications. New Zealand media were focused largely on empathetic coverage of victims and resisted the alleged gunman's attempts to publicise his cause while their Australian counterparts showed no such reluctance and ran extended coverage of the alleged perpetrator, along with material ruled objectionable in New Zealand. It finds the editorial focus in each case exhibits the effect of proximity, identified in literature on empirical ethical decision-making as a factor in applied ethicality. The authors conclude that a proximity filter was used by New Zealand media who identified the victims as part of their own community, but the events of 15 March 2019 were seen as ‘foreign’ by Australian journalists who used perceived distance as justification for extremely graphic content.     

Preliminary support for the use of narrative exposure therapy in a child protection context: Collective case-study narratives

The present paper attempts to provide preliminary support for the use of narrative exposure therapy (NET) in a child protection context. The prevalence of violence, abuse and neglect (VAN) within New South Wales is outlined as well as the current perspectives in trauma definition and symptomology, and the prevalence of trauma symptomology among birthparents and young people within child protection services. NET is introduced including its theoretical background, methodology, applications and research. Four applications of NET within a child protection context are presented, including lifelines and narrative excerpts. Specific themes presented included experiences of physical abuse, domestic and family violence, parental drug use, suicidal ideation and child removal. Statistical analysis including reliable change, clinical and statistical significance of pre- and post-PCL-5 outcomes measures are presented to infer preliminary support for NET within a child protection context. Limitations and future considerations for future research are discussed.     

Income management in Australia: A critical examination of the evidence

The introduction of income management – sometimes called welfare quarantining – for subgroups of Australian income security recipients within the Northern Territory, and subsequently a number of other trial sites, has provoked considerable contention. The present study critically examined the arguments and evidence presented in favour of income management with particular reference to the guidelines, methodology and findings of official evaluations conducted by the Commonwealth Government. We identified five key issues that do not seem to be adequately addressed by official evaluations: choice and control, the quality of decision making, consultation with local community members, structural disadvantage and economic cost. We used these concepts to develop a proposed alternative model for assessing the impact of income management on local communities.     

十年内战时期第三方媒介眼中的中共面相

国共十年内战时期,民办大报关于中共的报道颇有“暧昧”意味：一方面追随国民党鼓吹剿共,并造谣侮辱中共,另一方面却又在一定程度上维护中共形象。这种摇摆不定的舆论态势主要基于其对时势的认识,以及自身商业机制运转使然。然而站在中共的立场上,即便有维护中共形象的个案的出现,但大批量的攻击中共文章的出笼,影响颇大。     

Perceived media bias and third person effect: Comparisons of Americans,Korean Americans,and Koreans in the United States

The current study examined the third person effect (TPE) in relation to media coverage of the shooting incident at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (i.e., Virginia Tech.) in April of 2007. TPE refers to tendency to perceive that media coverage influences others (i.e., the third persons) to a greater extent than self (i.e., the first person). Three groups (non-Korean Americans, Korean Americans, and Koreans living in the United States) were compared with one another for their perceptions of media coverage. Specifically, this study investigated how much individuals perceived media to influence themselves versus the American public and the Korean American public. Additionally, the current study examined the extent to which individuals’ focus on the shooter and their perceptions of media bias were related to TPE. The results showed support for TPE in terms of media coverage resulting in negative feelings toward Korean Americans and Koreans. As individuals focused more on the shooter and also perceived greater media bias against Korean Americans, they thought that the media coverage of the incident would be more likely to influence the American public to have negative feelings about Koreans and Korean Americans.     

Reconceptualizing the generation in a digital(izing) modernity: digital media,social networking sites,and the flattening of generations

As digitalization binds society to an apparently perpetual acceleration, questions about the nature of time and speed have gained new urgency in the social sciences. Yet, theorizations of these issues have neglected their implications for social life and generations. Linking these lacunae, this article articulates how digital media and social networking sites (SNS) shape social life through cultural transformations in the generation. This article rationalizes predominant patterns of SNS user behaviors in the context of social theoretical and philosophical frameworks informed by Mannheim, Simmel, Adorno, Benjamin, Arendt, social presence, action, and acceleration theories to offer a relational reconceptualization of the generation as a set of social relations and processes for visualizing changing conceptions of time and speed in a digital (izing) modernity. This article introduces the concept of general and local generationing processes to articulate the processual nature of the generation and to assert that trends in SNS use and content production are underwritten by grammatical logics that collectively “flatten” separate traditional generations to form a cross-demographic and cross-temporal digital generation.