Television Channel Content Profiles and Differential Knowledge Growth: A Test of the Inadvertent Learning Hypothesis Using Panel Data

Abstract

This study uses four waves of panel data to analyze inadvertent learning-that is, learning in the absence of interest or motivation-from watching public service television channels. Previous research suggests that motivation-based gaps in political knowledge are at least partly a function of the political information opportunities provided by the major television channels in a country, which influence the likelihood of being inadvertently exposed to news and current affairs programs. The present study puts the inadvertent learning hypothesis to a thorough empirical test by analyzing individual-level growth in knowledge over time, based on panel data collected during five months leading up to the Swedish 2010 national election. Using multilevel growth curve modeling and an extensive battery of surveillance knowledge questions, the results show not only (a) that public service channel viewing was related to learning, but also (b) that knowledge growth occurred among public service viewers independently of their political motivation and news attention, and (c) that such learning was even more pronounced among viewers lacking an interest in politics. The findings are discussed in light of ongoing media environmental transformations as well as cross-national comparative media systems research.

Political communication in a high-choice media environment: a challenge for democracy?

“…There is limited evidence suggesting that viewers learn from soft news and entertainment (Hahn, Iyengar, van Aelst, & Curran, 2012;Kim & Vishak, 2008), though some studies suggest that exposure to conflict and human interest frames, often associated with soft news, may increase learning among groups less interested in politics (Albaek et al, 2014). Several studies also show that public service news has stronger knowledge effects than commercial TV news Eveland & Scheufele, 2000;Fraile & Iyengar, 2014;Liu & Eveland, 2005;Shehata et al, 2015;Soroka et al, 2013;Strömbäck, 2016;Tewksbury, Weaver, & Maddex, 2001).…”

“…Such scheduling strategies have major implications for the ease to which people find news on the most important and most widely watched channels. The strength of public service broadcasting also varies across countries (Tambini, 2015), which several comparative studies show has implications for the supply and the use of news and public affairs as well as for political knowledge Cushion, 2012;Fraile & Iyengar, 2014;Shehata, Hopmann, Nord, & Höijer, 2015;Soroka et al, 2013). Important to note is also that there is limited research on how the amount of political news has developed in individual media.…”

“…In addition, several studies investigate how exposure to commercial versus public service news may influence learning and knowledge gaps (Aarts & Semetko, 2003;Shehata et al, 2015;Strömbäck, 2016). These studies generally find that inequalities in media use and knowledge gaps are greater in more commercially oriented media systems.…”

Effects of the News-Finds-Me Perception in Communication: Social Media Use Implications for News Seeking and Learning About Politics

“…Hopmann, Wonneberger, Shehata, & Höijer, 2016;Prior, 2007;Wei & Hindman, 2011). Thus, one of the central aspects of this debate is whether political learning is dependent on citizens actively seeking news and political information or whether people can passively learn about politics through incidental exposure (Shehata et al, 2015).…”

“…the widespread availability of news might be considered ideal for producing better-informed citizens, especially given that both the volume and breadth of news in the media environment promote learning about politics (Barabas & Jerit, 2009) and that unintentional news exposure can facilitate political knowledge (Shehata, Hopmann, Nord, & Höijer, 2015;Tewksbury, Weaver, & Maddex, 2001).…”