Suchergebnisse

One of the soc factors affecting MM usage, the anticipated usefulness of information for future informal interaction with fam, friends, co-workers & acquaintances (communicatory utility) is examined in an exp & 2 surveys. 1 survey showed a strong r (r= +.49) between f of discussing the pol'al campaign & exposure to campaign coverage in the print media in a statewide Wisc sample during the 1968 campaign. The partial r controlling for campaign interest & SES was +.30. Somewhat less strong relationships were found for discussion & TV convention exposure, & viewing of news & public affairs programming. A 2nd survey also showed newspapers reading associated with general conversation about the news. In the exp, students anticipating a discussion on 1 of 3 topics later in the week tended to expose themselves to relevant MM content beforehand, with signif diff's for reading of appropriate sections of the newspaper & attending certain stories on radio & TV news programs. Students did not expend great effort, as most became more receptive to key items during normal MM use, rather than actively seeking out additional media sources. Taken as a whole, the findings document the existence of an empirical association & suggest that the expectation of conversational interaction at least partially accounts for the relationship. AA.

In this experiment knowledge of the views of a reference public influenced preferences for both candidates and issues in five tests; the data tend to favor a consistency explanation over "bandwagon effect."

The explosive growth of public opinion polling in recent years has produced a variety of significant consequences for the American news media. Poll information has become a newsworthy staple, particularly during election campaigns when survey findings are one of the leading categories of news. Polling has a distinct impact on the nature of political news coverage, shaping the allocation of coverage, the horse-race focus in campaigns, and election-day reporting. Findings from opinion surveys also play a role in editorial commentary and endorsements and provide an important resource for journalists in their adversarial relationship with government leaders. As a key component of precision journalism, polling has introduced a quantitative element into the traditionally qualitative news profession.

A study was conducted among elementary school children to examine the relationship between viewing of TV news & political orientation. Data were gathered by means of (1) questionnaires administered in spring 1973 to 703 children in kindergarten through fifth grade, (2) telephone interviews with a randomly selected sample of 235 mothers of these children, & (3) follow-up questionnaires administered to 200 members of the original sample in spring 1974. Children were measured on four variables: (A) political knowledge, (B) interpersonal discussion, (C) interest in presidential affairs, & (D) interest in foreign affairs. Results indicated that more than 50% of the children involved viewed TV news programming, either occasionally or regularly. Although older children were clearly shown to acquire more knowledge from such viewing, younger children did display some learning from simplified news programs presented on Saturday morning. It is concluded that TV news is an important source of political information for children & should not be ignored as a significant socializing agent. 2 Tables. M. Cain.