新旧媒体知识沟效果之比较研究

作为影响知识沟形成的一个重要因素 ,传播媒介差异一直以来都是学者关注的一个焦点。然而 ,以往研究主要集中在对报纸和电视的知识沟效果的比较 ,鲜有研究对以因特网为代表的新媒介和传统媒介的知识沟效果的差异进行实证探讨。通过对两组不同时期美国全国性调查数据的分析 ,发现不同社会经济地位者之间的使用沟在因特网上比在传统媒介上更为明显。更重要的是 ,因特网上较大的使用沟也导致了更为显著的知识沟 ,使得数字鸿沟不仅在强度上 ,更在后果上有甚于传统媒介的使用差异。这些发现一方面有助于我们在理论上加深对知识沟现象及其成因的理解 ,另一方面也为方兴未艾的数字鸿沟研究的必要性提供了进一步的实证支持。

A Comparative Analysis of the Knowledge Gap Effects between New Media and Old Media

As an important factor influencing the formation of knowledge gap ,media difference has long been a research focus in the knowledge gap literature .Previous studies ,however ,primarily compared the differential effects between newspaper and television on the knowledge gap .Little attention has been paid to the possible disparities between new media and old media regarding their impacts on people's knowledge acquisition .Based on two national surveys in the U .S .A . , this study finds that the usage gap between individuals with different socio-economic status is greater for the Internet than for traditional media .More importantly ,the greater usage gap on the Internet is also associated with a bigger knowledge gap .This suggests that the digital divide not only has a stronger magnitude ,but has more severe consequences than does the analog divide . These findings can facilitate our understanding of the knowledge gap and its antecedents ,and can help justify the necessity of the digital divide research .