Multiplatform News Consumption and Political Participation: Testing O-S-R-O-R Model

Abstract

This study tests the O-S-R-O-R model of communication effects in the political context of Pakistan. The objective of the study is to investigate the mediating role of political discussion, internal political efficacy, interpersonal trust, and political trust between the relationship of multiplatform news consumption and political participation. A cross-sectional web-based survey design vis-à-vis quantitative methodology was employed to collect data from 444 university students. Findings through structural equation modeling reveal that political discussion mediates the effects of multiplatform news consumption on offline/online political participation. Furthermore, the relationship between news consumption and political participation is mediated by internal political efficacy. However, interpersonal and political trust don't mediate and all paths involving these two constructs are statistically nonsignificant. In addition, the findings of this study suggest that news consumption via conventional and new media enhances political efficacy and political participation.