ERIC Number: ED283191
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1987-Aug
Pages: 34
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Effects of Newspaper Coverage on Neighborhood and Community Issue Concerns.
Smith, Kim A.
A study examined the relationship between newspaper coverage of issues and public concern about them at the neighborhood and community-wide levels in an urban area. It was hypothesized that (1) newspaper coverage of issues would be more strongly related to concern about perceived community than neighborhood issues, (2) newspaper coverage would have greater influence on perceived community issue concerns than the reverse relationship, (3) neighborhood issue concerns would have a greater influence on newspaper coverage than the reverse relationship, and (4) neighborhood issue concerns would have a greater influence on community issue concerns than the reverse relationship. Subjects, 471 randomly selected adults (age 15 or older) in the Jefferson County (Kentucky) area including Louisville, were questioned in a door-to-door series of surveys from May 1980 to February 1982. Results supported the first hypothesis and were consistent with past evidence that the agenda-setting power of the media is strongest on unobtrusive issues. The other hypotheses were not supported: the causal patterns between concern and newspaper coverage varied from issue to issue. Results indicated the importance of examining agenda-setting effects of media on individual issues rather than aggregate rankings of sets of issues. Findings also showed that citizens are concerned about issues at both the neighborhood and community levels, but that neighborhood issues (at least in Louisville) receive less coverage than those of importance to the entire community. (Eight tables of data are included, and a list of coding category definitions and 36 footnotes are appended.) (NKA)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A