Using TV News for Political Information During An Off-Year Election: Effects on Political Knowledge and Cynicism

Television news is routinely blamed for a decline in political knowledge and for a deepening cynicism among the American electorate. Yet studies attempting to measure the effects of TV news have produced decidedly mixed results. This study, using survey data from a 1994 U.S. Senate campaign in Misso...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journalism & mass communication quarterly 1997-04, Vol.74 (1), p.69-83
Main Authors: Leshner, Glenn, McKean, Michael L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Candidates
Communication Research
Congressional elections
Cynicism
Election campaigns
Knowledge
Knowledge Level
Mass Media Effects
Missouri
News
News Coverage
Political Analysis
Political Attitudes
Political Campaigns
Politicians
Public Opinion
Television News
Television programmes
Television Research
Television Viewing
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Summary:Television news is routinely blamed for a decline in political knowledge and for a deepening cynicism among the American electorate. Yet studies attempting to measure the effects of TV news have produced decidedly mixed results. This study, using survey data from a 1994 U.S. Senate campaign in Missouri, finds that using TV news for political and government information is positively associated with knowledge about candidates and not associated with cynicism toward politicians. These results run counter to the popular notion that TV news induces “videomalaise” among viewers.
ISSN:1077-6990
2161-430X
DOI:10.1177/107769909707400106