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News vs. Entertainment: How Increasing Media Choice Widens Gaps in Political Knowledge and Turnout

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  • Markus Prior

Abstract

Despite dramatic increases in available political information through cable television and the Internet, political knowledge and turnout have not changed noticeably. To explain this seeming paradox, I argue that greater media choice makes it easier for people to find their preferred content. People who like news take advantage of abundant political information to become more knowledgeable and more likely to turn out. In contrast, people who prefer entertainment abandon the news and become less likely to learn about politics and go to the polls. To test this proposition, I develop a measure of people's media content preference and include it in a representative opinion survey of 2,358 U.S. residents. Results show that content preference indeed becomes a better predictor of political knowledge and turnout as media choice increases. Cable TV and the Internet increase gaps in knowledge and turnout between people who prefer news and people who prefer entertainment.

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  • Markus Prior, 2005. "News vs. Entertainment: How Increasing Media Choice Widens Gaps in Political Knowledge and Turnout," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 49(3), pages 577-592, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:49:y:2005:i:3:p:577-592
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5907.2005.00143.x
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    1. Baum, Matthew A., 2002. "Sex, Lies, and War: How Soft News Brings Foreign Policy to the Inattentive Public," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 96(1), pages 91-109, March.
    2. Anthony Downs, 1957. "An Economic Theory of Political Action in a Democracy," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65, pages 135-135.
    3. Baum, Matthew A. & Kernell, Samuel, 1999. "Has Cable Ended the Golden Age of Presidential Television?," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 93(1), pages 99-114, March.
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