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Multiple issue publics in the high-choice media environment: media use, online activity, and political knowledge

2012; Routledge; Volume: 22; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/01292986.2012.662518

1742-0911

Hsuan‐Ting Chen,

Electoral Systems and Political Participation

Abstract This study examines the role of membership in multiple issue publics by understanding its relationship to media use, online activity, and political knowledge. Using data from Taiwan's 2008 Social Change Survey, the study shows that members of multiple issue publics was positively associated with television watching, political talk show watching, and online news reading. In addition, they were found to engage in specific online activities, including information browsing, information exchanging, information gathering, taking part in forum discussions, and blogging. Therefore, members of multiple issue publics tend to use media with a high level of selectivity and engage in online activities that allow them to express opinions, gain knowledge, or discuss issues with others. A curvilinear relationship was explored and found between multiple issue-public membership and general political knowledge. This demonstrates that individuals' ability to process information may not extend beyond certain boundaries, no matter how many issue publics individuals are involved in. Keywords: issue publicsselectivityhigh-choice mediapolitical knowledge Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank Professor Natalie Stroud, the editors and the two anonymous reviewers for their invaluable comments. An earlier version of this article was presented at the 2011 annual convention of International Communication Association in Boston, MA. Notes 1. In order to explore political talk show watching with different political orientation, as an anonymous reviewer suggested, an additional partial correlation analysis was conducted. With the control of demographic variables, strength of partisanship, and political efficacy, the results reveal a significant and positive relationship between levels of involvement in multiple issue publics and watching political talk shows with Pan-Green political orientation (r=.088, p < .01). Levels of involvement in multiple issue publics also had a significant positive relationship with watching political talk shows with Pan-Blue political leaning (r=.074, p < .01). Political talk show watching with Pan-Blue or Pan-Green political orientation was measured by asking to what extent the political talk shows respondents watch criticize Pan-Blue or Pan-Green politicians with two items separately. Answers ranged from often criticize (4) to almost never criticize (1) (M Criticize Pan-Blue =2.68, SD Criticize Pan-Blue =.95; M Criticize Pan-Green = 2.71, SD Criticize Pan-Green =.93).