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Partisan Cues and the Media: Information Flows in the 1992 Presidential Election

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  • Dalton, Russell J.
  • Beck, Paul A.
  • Huckfeldt, Robert

Abstract

Electoral research acknowledges the growing significance of the mass media in contemporary campaigns, but scholars are divided on the nature of this influence. Using a unique database that includes both media content and public opinion, we examine the flow of partisan information from newspapers to the voters and assess the press's role in electoral politics and citizen learning. We find that the American press does not present clear and singular messages about presidential elections but, rather, multiple messages about the candidates and the campaign. In addition, perception of the information is shaped as much by an individual's political views as by the objective content. Despite the mixed messages, we find that a newspaper's editorial content is significantly related to candidate preferences in 1992. These results challenge the minimal effects interpretation of the media, because local newspapers can play a significant role in providing cues that influence voters' electoral calculus.

Suggested Citation

  • Dalton, Russell J. & Beck, Paul A. & Huckfeldt, Robert, 1998. "Partisan Cues and the Media: Information Flows in the 1992 Presidential Election," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 92(1), pages 111-126, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:92:y:1998:i:01:p:111-126_20
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    Cited by:

    1. Sean Carey & Jonathan Burton, 2004. "Research Note: The Influence of the Press in Shaping Public Opinion towards the European Union in Britain," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 52(3), pages 623-640, October.
    2. Biondo, A.E. & Pluchino, A. & Rapisarda, A., 2018. "Modeling surveys effects in political competitions," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 503(C), pages 714-726.
    3. Meijers, Maurits & Rauh, Christian, 2016. "Has eurosceptic mobilization become more contagious? Comparing the 2009 and 2014 EP election campaigns in the Netherlands and France," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 4(1), pages 83-103.
    4. Matthijs Rooduijn & Wouter van der Brug & Sarah L. de Lange & Jante Parlevliet, 2017. "Persuasive Populism? Estimating the Effect of Populist Messages on Political Cynicism," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(4), pages 136-145.
    5. Kim P. McCann, 2013. "The Diversity Policy Model and Assessment of the Policy," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(2), pages 21582440134, June.
    6. Kostas Gemenis, 2015. "An iterative expert survey approach for estimating parties’ policy positions," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 2291-2306, November.
    7. Alan S. Gerber & Dean Karlan & Daniel Bergan, 2009. "Does the Media Matter? A Field Experiment Measuring the Effect of Newspapers on Voting Behavior and Political Opinions," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 35-52, April.
    8. Maurits Meijers & Christian Rauh, 2016. "Has Eurosceptic Mobilization Become More Contagious? Comparing the 2009 and 2014 EP Election Campaigns in The Netherlands and France," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(1), pages 83-103.
    9. Braha, Dan & de Aguiar, Marcus A. M., 2018. "Voting contagion: Modeling and analysis of a century of U.S. presidential elections," SocArXiv mzxnr, Center for Open Science.

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