| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Public Opinion Quarterly 57:133-164 (1993)
© 1993 American Association for Public Opinion Research
WHO GETS THE NEWS? ALTERNATIVE MEASURES OF NEWS RECEPTION AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH
Institute for Social Research, and associate chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Michigan Los Angeles
The University of California Los Angeles
This article investigates patterns in audience reception of 16 news stories that received prominent media coverage in the summer and fall of 1989. Using a national sample of American adults, it compares education, self-reported rates of media use, interpersonal communication, and prior levels of general political knowledge as predictors of individual differences in recall of current news events. Results indicate that respondents' background level of political knowledge is the strongest and most consistent predictor of current news story recall across a wide range of topics, suggesting that there is indeed a general audience for news and that this audience is quite sharply stratified by preexisting levels of background knowledge. Thus, in survey research applications that require estimates of individual differences in the reception of potentially influential political communications, a measure of general prior knowledge—not a measure of news media use—is likely to be the most effective indicator. The article further concludes that the tendency of individuals to acquire news and information on a domain- or topic-specific basis fails to undermine the value of political knowledge as a general measure of propensity for news recall.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  Y. M. Baek and M. E. Wojcieszak Don't Expect Too Much! Learning From Late-Night Comedy and Knowledge Item Difficulty Communication Research, December 1, 2009; 36(6): 783 - 809. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. L. Claassen and B. Highton Policy Polarization among Party Elites and the Significance of Political Awareness in the Mass Public Political Research Quarterly, September 1, 2009; 62(3): 538 - 551. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Iyengar, K. S. Hahn, H. Bonfadelli, and M. Marr "Dark Areas of Ignorance" Revisited: Comparing International Affairs Knowledge in Switzerland and the United States Communication Research, June 1, 2009; 36(3): 341 - 358. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young Mie Kim Issue Publics in the New Information Environment: Selectivity, Domain Specificity, and Extremity Communication Research, April 1, 2009; 36(2): 254 - 284. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Prior The Immensely Inflated News Audience: Assessing Bias in Self-Reported News Exposure Public Opin Q, March 18, 2009; (2009) nfp002v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. W. Koch Campaign Advertisements' Impact on Voter Certainty and Knowledge of House Candidates' Ideological Positions Political Research Quarterly, December 1, 2008; 61(4): 609 - 621. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. A. Unger After the Supreme Word: The Effect of McCreary County v. ACLU (2005) and Van Orden v. Perry (2005) on Support for Public Displays of the Ten Commandments American Politics Research, September 1, 2008; 36(5): 750 - 775. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Nir and J. N. Druckman Campaign Mixed-Message Flows and Timing of Vote Decision Int. J. Public Opin. Res., September 1, 2008; 20(3): 326 - 346. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Maier and B. Rittberger Shifting Europe's Boundaries: Mass Media, Public Opinion and the Enlargement of the EU European Union Politics, June 1, 2008; 9(2): 243 - 267. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. R. Atkeson and T. B. Krebs Press Coverage of Mayoral Candidates: The Role of Gender in News Reporting and Campaign Issue Speech Political Research Quarterly, June 1, 2008; 61(2): 239 - 252. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Hayes Does the Messenger Matter? Candidate-Media Agenda Convergence and Its Effects on Voter Issue Salience Political Research Quarterly, March 1, 2008; 61(1): 134 - 146. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. Ladd Predispositions and Public Support for the President During the War on Terrorism Public Opin Q, December 1, 2007; 71(4): 511 - 538. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. E. Dalrymple and D. A. Scheufele Finally Informing the Electorate? How the Internet Got People Thinking about Presidential Politics in 2004 International Journal of Press/Politics, July 1, 2007; 12(3): 96 - 111. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young Mie Kim How Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations Interact in Selectivity: Investigating the Moderating Effects of Situational Information Processing Goals in Issue Publics' Web Behavior Communication Research, April 1, 2007; 34(2): 185 - 211. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. M. Holbrook Cognitive Style and Political Learning in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Campaign Political Research Quarterly, September 1, 2006; 59(3): 343 - 352. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Viswanath, W. Randolph Steele, and J. R. Finnegan Jr Social Capital and Health: Civic Engagement, Community Size, and Recall of Health Messages Am J Public Health, August 1, 2006; 96(8): 1456 - 1461. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. McCann and C. Lawson Presidential Campaigns and the Knowledge Gap in Three Transitional Democracies Political Research Quarterly, March 1, 2006; 59(1): 13 - 22. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. K.-C. Chan and L. Leung Lifestyles, reliance on traditional news media and online news adoption New Media Society, June 1, 2005; 7(3): 357 - 382. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
O. G. Abbe, J. Goodliffe, P. S. Herrnson, and K. D. Patterson Agenda Setting in Congressional Elections: The Impact of Issues and Campaigns on Voting Behavior Political Research Quarterly, December 1, 2003; 56(4): 419 - 430. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Tsfati and J. N. Cappella Do People Watch what they Do Not Trust?: Exploring the Association between News Media Skepticism and Exposure Communication Research, October 1, 2003; 30(5): 504 - 529. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. L. Althaus and D. Tewksbury Agenda Setting and the "New" News: Patterns of Issue Importance Among Readers of the Paper and Online Versions of the New York Times Communication Research, April 1, 2002; 29(2): 180 - 207. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Bonfadelli The Internet and Knowledge Gaps: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation European Journal of Communication, March 1, 2002; 17(1): 65 - 84. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. TREMAYNE and S. DUNWOODY Interactivity, Information Processing, and Learning on the World Wide Web Science Communication, December 1, 2001; 23(2): 111 - 134. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Pfau, J. Cho, and K. Chong Communication Forms in U.S. Presidential Campaigns: Influences on Candidate Perceptions and the Democratic Process International Journal of Press/Politics, September 1, 2001; 6(4): 88 - 105. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. W. GWIASDA Network News Coverage of Campaign Advertisements: Media's Ability to Reinforce Campaign Messages American Politics Research, September 1, 2001; 29(5): 461 - 482. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. PFAU, D. PARK, R. L. HOLBERT, and J. CHO The Effects of Party- and PAC-Sponsored Issue Advertising and the Potential of Inoculation to Combat its Impact on the Democratic Process American Behavioral Scientist, August 1, 2001; 44(12): 2379 - 2397. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. L. SMITH and B. J. WILSON Children's Reactions to a Television News Story: The Impact of Video Footage and Proximity of the Crime Communication Research, October 1, 2000; 27(5): 641 - 673. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. R. JOSLYN and D. P. HAIDER-MARKEL Guns in the Ballot Box: Information, Groups, and Opinion in Ballot Initiative Campaigns American Politics Research, July 1, 2000; 28(3): 355 - 378. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. McDEVITT and S. CHAFFEE Closing Gaps in Political Communication and Knowledge: Effects of a School Intervention Communication Research, June 1, 2000; 27(3): 259 - 292. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. E. GRABE, A. LANG, S. ZHOU, and P. D. BOLLS Cognitive Access to Negatively Arousing News: An Experimental Investigation of the Knowledge Gap Communication Research, February 1, 2000; 27(1): 3 - 26. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. P. WASSERMAN The Local Contours of Campaign Coverage: State Newspapers and the 1988 Super Tuesday Campaign Communication Research, December 1, 1999; 26(6): 701 - 725. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Schneider, M. Marschall, C. Roch, and P. Teske Heuristics, Low Information Rationality, and Choosing Public Goods: Broken Windows as Shortcuts to Information about School Performance Urban Affairs Review, May 1, 1999; 34(5): 729 - 741. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Earl Bennett, S. L. Rhine, R. S. Flickinger, and L. L.M. Bennett "Video Malaise" Revisited: Public Trust in the Media and Government International Journal of Press/Politics, January 1, 1999; 4(4): 8 - 23. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. M. Anderman and J. Johnston Television News in the Classroom: What Are Adolescents Learning? Journal of Adolescent Research, January 1, 1998; 13(1): 73 - 100. [Abstract]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. W. RHEE and J. N. CAPPELLA The Role of Political Sophistication in Learning From News: Measuring Schema Development Communication Research, June 1, 1997; 24(3): 197 - 233. [Abstract]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Goren Political Expertise and Issue Voting in Presidential Elections Political Research Quarterly, June 1, 1997; 50(2): 387 - 412. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. CHAFFEE and S. FRANK How Americans Get Political Information: Print Versus Broadcast News The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, July 1, 1996; 546(1): 48 - 58. [Abstract]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. E. Bennett, R. S. Flickinger, J. R. Baker, S. L. Rhine, and L. L. M. Bennett Citizens' Knowledge of Foreign Affairs International Journal of Press/Politics, March 1, 1996; 1(2): 10 - 29. [Abstract]
|
|