No abstract

Data collected from two surveys in 1992, one cross-sectional and one two-wave panel, are used to examine the predictive patterns of traditional and nontraditional media forms on people's campaign interest, campaign information processing strategies, campaign participation, knowledge of candidates' issue positions, affect and image favorability toward candidates, perceived votes for candidates, and issue salience. Applying three incremental levels of controls, nontraditional media were found to have the strongest impact on labile characteristics (e.g., campaign interest) and weakest impact on criteria more difficult to alter, such as knowledge of candidates' issue positions. Traditional media forms continue to have a potent influence greater than that of nontraditional media forms on the campaign.

No abstract

An audience's interpretation of news is considered to involve the input of news frames and audience predispositions. This study proposes that media frame diversity and individual-level factors may both condition audience issue cognitions. Using two public issues in Taiwan that vary in news frame diversity and data from a sample survey, this study compares media and audience frames and examines factors that condition audience framing. Results show that media frame diversity corresponds to audience frame diversity at the aggregate level. Audience frames are more diverse in the more diverse news context, but are less diverse in the more uniform news context. Individual differences also affect audience framing. Education appears to be a strong predictor to audience frame diversity as more education increases audience frame diversity in both issue contexts. Other individual variables show differential effects on audience framing across the two issues. Overall, the findings suggest that, while effects of individual-level factors on broadening audience perspectives may vary with issues, diverse media frames may help to cultivate a more reflexive citizenry. Framing is a seminal concept that describes the interpretative activities on both the message encoding and decoding sides. Researchers have suggested that audience framing is a product of the information integration process that combines input from news discourses and the audience's existing predispositions (