Abstract
This paper provides an empirical test of the argument that the broadcast newsmedia help create a ‘national’ public opinion and mute localized opinion rooted insociodemographic characteristics. Using Canadian data, we provide evidence that major social cleavages are reduced as exposure to the broadcast media goes up. However, we also provide evidence that exposure to media directed toward segmented aaudiences exacerbates social cleavages. We conclude by speculating that public opinion may become more polarized around sociodemographic cleavages as narrowcast media become more dominant and we suggest that this has implications for the study of media effects using survey research.
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