Effects of domestic media use on European integration

Abstract

In recent research, the declining support for European integration is often attributed to the lack of a European public sphere. The comparatively low level of Europeanisation in the news media is said to promote euroskepticism or at least hinder further integration. In this paper we try to bridge the research gap between the formation of a European public opinion and the emergence of a European public sphere. Based on Eurobarometer data, this study evaluates the impact of domestic media use of EU citizens on their attitudes toward European integration. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques in cross-national analysis, we can demonstrate that domestic media use does indeed have a small, but substantial positive effect on knowledge, attachment to Europe and support for the European Union in most member states.