Source Of Political Information Research Articles

Redefining the Communication Dynamics in Bolsonaro’s Brazil: Media Consumption and Political Preferences

In this article, we contend that understanding Brazil’s current communicative landscape requires a closer examination of the relevance of legacy media outlets, challenging the widely accepted “traditional media bypass” thesis, which posits that social media platforms have overtaken traditional media as the primary influencers of political discourse, an argument often used to explain the rise of extreme-right ideologies across different national contexts. In order to test the association between voting preferences and the use of different types of media, we employ logistic regression analysis using data from a recent survey that includes numerous questions about the information and media consumption habits of Brazilian voters. Our findings highlight that legacy media, particularly broadcast TV channels like Globo, Record, and SBT, remain dominant in Brazil as sources of political information. Contrary to the bypass thesis, Bolsonaro’s supporters, while favoring social media, also consume significant amounts of legacy media. Analysis reveals stark differences in media preferences between the supporters of different political candidates, challenging the notion of an exclusive reliance on social media by right-wing supporters. The data also indicate nuanced media consumption habits, such as a preference for certain TV channels and fact-checking behaviors, underscoring the complex interplay between legacy and social media.

Who Relies on Social Media Influencers for Political Information? A Cross-Country Study Among Youth

Social media influencers (SMIs) are defined as regular individuals who become well-known via self-branding on social media. Youth use content posted by SMIs not just for entertainment, but also for political information. However, we know little about which groups of young people are most likely to be exposed to their political messages or why some youth seem to favor SMIs’ political information over news content from other sources. Inspired by the selective exposure paradigm, this cross-country study conducted between April 2022 and March 2023 explored which variables positively relate to selecting SMIs as primary political information sources among a quota-based sample of emerging adults (16–22 years old) in Germany ( N = 559) and Belgium ( N = 495). We focused on dispositional factors, namely young people’s political predispositions (e.g., subjective political knowledge, institutional mistrust) and source perceptions (e.g., perceived expertise, perceived opinion leader functions), that may be associated with selecting SMIs for political information. Overall, 59 percent of youth in our study were able to name a favorite political SMI. In this analytical sample, youth who were male, politically active, or ascribed opinion leader functions to SMIs were likely to consider them central political information sources. Moreover, country-specific multi-group analysis showed that, in Germany, low subjective political knowledge and parasocial relationships developed with SMIs were linked with relying on them for political information.

Use of Social Networking Sites for Citizen Journalism

Social networking sites have become important platforms for obtaining political information. Nevertheless, a crucial inquiry in this context pertains to the reliability of social networking sites (SNS) as a political information source. This study investigated the extent to which politically engaged online users perceive social networking sites (SNS) as trustworthy. The positivist philosophical stance was adopted to explain the phenomena. Moreover, the deductive approach was intricated in this study to test the framed hypotheses. A digital survey strategy was used for individuals who frequently engage with social media platforms. The data was electronically collected from October 19 to November 1, 2023. The target population for this study was active social media users in Pakistan who were between the ages of 18 and 34 and data was gathered using the purposive sampling technique. The ultimate sample comprised 384 users via using the cross-sectional study design. This study found social networking sites (SNS) the least credible among the various traditional and online sources. The strongest indicator of social networking site (SNS) credibility was found to be the extent of reliance on these platforms. Moreover, it is concluded that utilizing social network sites (SNS) can be an as effective means to convince voters to support their campaigns.

Who Is Curating My Political Feed? Characterizing Political Exposure of Registered U.S. Voters on Twitter

Social media platforms offer people a variety of options to engage with politics, from directly following elected officials to discussing politics with social peers. Despite major advances in recent research on online political exposure through the lens of selective exposure, filter bubbles, and ideological echo chambers, little is known about the fundamental questions of what types of political actors people are exposed to on social media, and how these distinctive types vary across sociodemographic groups. We address this gap in the literature by analyzing unique panel data on more than 600,000 registered U.S. voters on Twitter during the 2020 U.S. Presidential campaign. We analyze this dataset to identify distinct types of political consumers and how they vary in terms of sociodemographics. Our findings suggest that the bulk of the population has a meaningful share of political content available from social peers, that the majority of this content originates from traditional sources of political information (media organizations, journalists, and politicians), and that media organizations are the dominant and direct source of political information on Twitter for nearly 20% of the sample population. These results advance our understanding of the way citizens learn about politics in new media and pave the way for next-step research to identify the causal effect of exposure to distinct curators of political content on individuals’ political attitudes and political behavior.

The Politization of the Mass Consciousness of the Russian Youth in 2022: Possibilities of Evaluation on the Basis of Statistical Analysis

The politicization of the mass consciousness of young people is revealed in this study by such parameters as the level of interest in politics, readiness for certain actions to protect interests, priority sources of political information, assessment of the correctness of the direction of development of the situation in the country, as well as the relations of some of these characteristics with the level political trust. The empirical basis of the study is the results of a massive online survey of Russian youth conducted in November 2022. The method of conducting the survey was an online survey. The data were processed using traditional methods of statistical analysis: simple and combined grouping of data, analysis of standardized residuals, correlation analysis, calculation of new variables, multiple regression analysis, multivariate scaling. By modeling a new variable, it was possible to identify high rates of youth interest in politics. It has been established that the level of youth interest in politics is associated with the availability and size of material and social resources of representatives of this group. Positive and negative factors influencing the level of youth interest in politics have been identified. Since, according to the results of the analysis, the levels of political trust and interest in youth politics turned out to be unrelated, it can be argued that the rational component in the formation of political trust among young people is rather weak. The relationship between the level of political trust of young people and the willingness to take certain potential actions to protect their interests has been revealed. Two sets of related potential action strategies have been identified that young people can use to protect their interests.

Social Media Influencers’ Role in Shaping Political Opinions and Actions of Young Audiences

Social media influencers have become an indispensable part of social media, informing audiences, especially young ones, about various topics, such as beauty, lifestyle, or food. Recently more political influencers have emerged, and regular influencers have increasingly taken positions on political and societally relevant topics, including climate justice and gender equality. Yet, empirical evidence on how both types of influencers are perceived by their audiences and how they might impact young audiences regarding political action is scarce. Hence, the present study set out to investigate adolescents’ and young adults’ use and perception of social media influencers in the context of political information dissemination, opinion formation, and mobilization. With the help of qualitative interviews of young people in Germany (16–22 years), we show that while the mainstream media seems to still be the primary source of political information, influencers focused on politics are increasingly used to make sense of this information. The presumed impact ranges from amplifying the effects of existing opinions to opinion formation and changes in voting intentions based on the assessment provided by the influencer. Regular influencers who talk about political topics occasionally are not perceived as reliable sources of political information.

Datafication Markers: Curation and User Network Effects on Mobilization and Polarization During Elections

Social media platforms are crucial sources of political information during election campaigns, with datafication processes underlying the algorithmic curation of newsfeeds. Recognizing the role of individuals in shaping datafication processes and leveraging the metaphor of news attraction, we study the impact of user curation and networks on mobilization and polarization. In a two-wave online panel survey (<em>n</em> = 943) conducted during the 2021 German federal elections, we investigate the influence of self-reported user decisions, such as following politicians, curating their newsfeed, and being part of politically interested networks, on changes in five democratic key variables: vote choice certainty, campaign participation, turnout, issue reinforcement, and affective polarization. Our findings indicate a mobilizing rather than polarizing effect of algorithmic election news exposure and highlight the relevance of users’ political networks on algorithmic platforms.

Hybrid News (in the) Making: A Content and Corpus-Based Discourse Analysis of Political Live Blogs on the 2020 US Presidential Debates

ABSTRACT Political journalism continues to be the main source of political information in deliberative democracies. However, the advent of hybrid media systems during the last decade(s) has altered how journalists cover politics and how audiences consume relevant content. In this context, live blogging has emerged as a web-based alternative to traditional TV broadcasting. To explore whether and in which forms the trend toward hybrid media systems is empirically traceable in current journalism practice, the present study focuses on political live blogging from four popular media outlets covering the two 2020 US presidential TV debates. It applies a discourse-oriented, mixed-methods, corpus-based approach and specifically considers sourcing practices as well as the normalization of professional role conceptions and practices of objectivity. Results suggest that political live blogging establishes multi-layered and multi-authored discourse that places strong emphasis on accountability and disclosure transparency by updating and linking information, while maintaining the journalistic gatekeeping/gatewatching function. It further emerges that political live blogs are characterized by an informal tone but also by a continuation of traditional news media practices as regards objectivity, as instantiated by the salience of debate topics and political terms and by a clear delineation of information from opinion and contextualization.

Consular Reports as a Source of Information for Periodicals of the Ministry of Finance of Russia at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

The author examines the reports of Russian consular services located in different countries, which served as important sources of various commercial and political information for periodicals issued by the Ministry of Finance of Imperial Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. The subject of the study is the information policy of one of the leading government departments, which was one of the first to deploy a wide correspondent network around the world in order to obtain information about the most important events in the world economy and politics, analyze them and bring them to the main consumer – the domestic business class, who was extremely interested in promptly obtaining this information. The scientific novelty of the publication lies in the fact that the reports of the Russian consuls, revealed during the analysis of archival documents containing correspondence between the Trade Department of the Ministry of Finance and the Editorial Office of the time-based publications of this ministry, have not yet been reflected in the scientific literature. Meanwhile, market, industrial, stock exchange, banking, socio-political information, which regularly appeared in the "Bulletin of Finance, Industry and Trade" and the daily "Trade and Industrial Newspaper", played an important role for the orientation of business circles not only in the processes on world markets, but also for the political development of the domestic bourgeoisie, understanding its role in the socio-economic and political life of Russia during the period under review. And the correspondent network of these publications, the use of technological innovations became the basis for the creation of first a Trade and Telegraph Agency under the Ministry of Finance, and then a government agency.The St. Petersburg Telegraph Agency, which initiated the formation of the state information policy.

The Influence of Media Exposure on Voters’ Behavior During The Sumbawa 2020 Local Election (PILKADA)

During Indonesia's general elections, mass media was the most popular medium for transmitting political influence. However, the extent of media influence on voting behaviour is unknown, creating a problem that necessitates careful research. As a result, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact of media exposure on voting behaviour among Sumbawa voters in Indonesia during the Pemilihan Kepala Daerah, or PILKADA 2020. A sample of 400 voters was chosen using a Multi-Level Random Sampling method. To better understand this phenomenon, a set of questionnaires was used as a data collection tool in the field. The collected data was then analysed using SPSS software version 26. Descriptive analysis revealed that the level of media exposure was divided into three categories: low, medium, and high. However, such exposure has only a minor impact on voter behaviour. While inferential analysis shows that non-mass media exposure has a significant influence on the voting behaviour of the Sumbawa community in PILKADA 2020. This strengthens the case that the media has a direct influence on voting behaviour, as opposed to previous theories that based their argument on social and cultural variables. In conclusion, this study concludes that, when compared to mass media, respondents in this area prefer online media and media such as billboards or banners, posters, calendars, or stickers as a source of political information. Keywords: Media exposure, Sumbawa, voters’ behavior, PILKADA, Indonesia election.

Audience Engagement with Malayalam Television Political Satire Shows: A Qualitative Study


 
 
 
 
 
 Satire is a sword that keeps the audience alert and involved in recent political developments when other forms of traditional media have failed to communicate politics effectively. This qualitative study was done among the people who watch Malayalam political satire shows. This study attempts to throw light on the viewing habits of selected satirical programs in Malayalam news channels. The present study is intended to examine political satire shows’ credibility and trustworthiness. The samples are collected using the purposive sampling method; qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted to strengthen the research objective. Most respondents said that they chose satire to gain information through fun. They also admitted that satirical shows are sources of political information. This study employed uses gratification theory, third-person effect, and agenda-setting theory to explain the reason for choosing political satire.
 
 
 
 
 

Influencers as political agents? The potential of an unlikely source to motivate political action

Abstract The impact of social media influencers (SMIs) on brand-related outcomes has been well researched, yet whether this influence also impacts political participation and what role the relationship between SMIs and their audiences play has not been sufficiently examined to date. Basing this study on the Balance Model, I investigated the potential of an unlikely vs. a likely source and the role of similarity with a SMI based on a shared topic interest to elicit the intention for political action in an experimental study (n = 222). The perceived similarity with the SMI was examined as a mediator and the role of the shared topic interest with the SMI as a potential moderator. The results indicate that a likely source for political information generated a greater topic fit. The perceived similarity with the source depended on the shared topic interest between the source and the participants. This is a key finding, as perceived similarity with the source in turn predicted the intention to take political action, which positively activated participants who shared the topic interest of the unlikely source even if they did not indicate a topic interest in politics. Thus, a shared interest with a SMI might make even those not interested in politics more open to political participation.

Sociological analysis of political attitudes of student youth

The article analyzes the main structural components of political attitudes and activity of young people in the national and worldwide changes. The development of modern attitudes and values and the decline in the significance of former values in the context of increased social mobility contributed to a significant transformation of life, including socio-political attitudes of youth. The aim of the article is to examine factors of youth political involvement and activity, their political attitudes and values, main sources about political events in youth environment. The article presents the results of a sociological study conducted by the author in 2021. To gather empirical date questioning method was used. The sample size is 439 participants. Ac-cording to the results political positions of young people are in the process of formation and transformation, that is, the boundaries of political attitudes are not clear. No statistically significant differences were found in the structure of political values and attitudes of young people in terms of socio-demographic criteria or eco-nomic status. The development of the political or ideological positions of young people is influenced by the socio-economic well-being of the country and the cultural stereotypes of society. The data and results of the sociological research presented in the article can be applied in solving urgent problems of youth, in organiz-ing various political events and campaigns, in regulating the political movements of youth. Key words: political attitudes, student youth, youth policy, political activity, sources of political information, political culture, political involvement.

New media strategies: personalization of politics

During the recent years, there has been an increased interest paid for the personalization of politics. At the electoral competitions, modern democracies have witnessed to changes in establishing consensus, more focused on static ideological values, group affiliations and party-centred politics, rather on political candidates’ personality characteristics, their image, and voter’s personal choices. The new order in the field of politics has redefined pragmatism for political actors, who, in their political action, use many ways that can provide increased visibility and operate with the full potential of media arsenal. So, the general institutional personalization leads to personalization in the media, which in turn leads to personalization in the politicians’ behaviour. Respectively, the main sources of political information for society have imposed personalization as the general means of communication. In this context, the relationship between political power and the ability to influence media agendas is a key issue within the field of political communication examinations. That political personalization can be better understood by considering the personalization in the media. This article focuses on the personalization model in the media activity, examines diverse aspects of the concept of personalization, it presents the experience accumulated by the media in covering the political process through the comprehension of the personalization as test of notoriety.

The Use of Media by Turkey’s Generation Z as a Source for Political Information

In the historical process, each generation has interpreted and organized the social life and the values of the society according to their own philosophy and style of life. Therefore, the influence of the Z generation, which constitutes the most crowded age group of the world population, has become more evident in politics as in every field. It has become more difficult to influence and direct the Z generation voters, who use technology much better than previous generations. One of the most important roles of the media in political communication is to inform the public about political issues and events. The public reaches the information they need to make informed political decisions through mass media. The findings of the research, which is the subject of this study, revealed how and to what extent the Z generation is affected by the media in the process of obtaining information on political issues in Turkey, and thus how the political parties will reach the Z generation through the media. In light of the research findings, it has also been revealed how political communication should evolve to reach the Z generation voters, which will have a decisive effect on the election results in the 21st century.

Adaptations of the News Media and Social Media Logics by Indonesian Political Parties’ Leaders and Presidential Candidates after 2004 Indonesian Presidential Election

Adaptations of political actors and organizations in Asian democratic countries to the media and social media logics have been increasingly visible. This article is specified to answer the following questions of how Indonesian political parties’ leaders and presidential candidates after 2004 Indonesian presidential election adapted to the news and social media logics and what drove such adaptations. Focusing on such questions, this article adopts theoretical models of mediatisation of politics formulated by Mazzoleni and Schulz, Strömbäck and Stromback and Van Aelts and extracts in-depth interview data derived from six Indonesian political parties’ leaders, two political consultants and six senior journalists associated with Indonesian media using the qualitative content and thematic analyses. The findings are as follows. These political parties’ leaders and presidential candidates favoured adapting to the news and social media logics when they got to deal with political issues and affairs, formulate political policies and secure their personal images in Indonesian political sphere. Such development was driven by the following factors, including establishing democratic political and media systems, increasing the roles of the media as sources of political information, escalating freedoms of Indonesian media and journalists to manage the media logic. Theoretical implications are chronicled and research recommendations are displayed.

Redes Sociais e Aplicativos de Troca de Mensagens Instantâneas na Eleição de Jair Bolsonaro como Presidente do Brasil em 2018

ABSTRACT Studies that have used survey data to analyze the reasons behind the Jair Bolsonaro’s presidential victory in 2018 have highlighted factors such as conservative ideology, antipetismo (resentment against the Brazilian Workers’ Party) and populism. In all of them, media variables are treated superficially, as if their role in politics and elections was simply to “deliver a message” to voters. We contest this view that the media played a secondary role in voters’ decisions, emphasizing instead the effects of social networks and mobile instant messaging services. Based on data from the Brazilian Electoral Study, a post-electoral survey, we show that the use of Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube as sources of political information almost doubled the odds of one voting for Bolsonaro. This places them at a level of importance similar to that of other variables, such as anti-pluralist discourse, religious values and right-wing ideology.

#JoeandtheHoe: Exploring Gender and Racial Stereotypes Used to Discredit Kamala Harris in the 2020 Presidential Election

Social media has increasingly become the source of political information and discussion during campaigns, as well as a platform where stereotypical frames and disinformation are spread about candidates. This study explores the gender and racial stereotypes used to negatively frame Kamala Harris on Twitter. Results show that gender frames previously used against other female candidates were present (inauthentic, ambitious), as well as racial frames leveled against Barack Obama (violent, dangerous, not Black enough). Additionally, Harris was subjected to oppressive stereotypes and controlling images related to her intersectionality as a Black woman (tough, angry, sexually promiscuous, and loser).

Searching for politics: Using real-world web search behavior and surveys to see political information searching in context

Search engines are one of the most trusted and used sources of political information. Yet there is limited research on how often people search for political topics in the real world, the search strategies they use to find information, and the results people select. We use a combination of survey and online behavioral data to illuminate how often people search for political content, what queries they use, how autocomplete affects political queries, how searches vary by political characteristics, and what types of results people view. We holistically investigate the political search process of 45 politically diverse individuals in the U.S., selected from a larger sample of 564, by observing 6-months of their online behavior. While politically interested people do most political searching and tend to favor their own side in the queries they compose and the results they visit, it is not overwhelmingly so. In fact, there is a substantial amount of cross-party searching and result visiting. Autocomplete and trending topics play a small role in political search overall. People visit a wide variety of results after searching for political information beyond national news sites. These findings extend our understanding of political search and have both theoretical and practical implications.

Mass media, social networks and the political socialization of South Africa's white student

In this article the effects of either mutual reinforcement, or incongruity, between the mass media and the social networks of political information are analyzed. The political in formation exposure of South Africa's white university students serve as the basis for research. The article illuminates, in terms of political socialization theory, the differential exposure of the English and Afrikaans students. The findings clarify the role of the mass media in relation to other sources of political information in a rapidly changing society. It emphasizes the dependence on the mass media for political information. Yet it also shows how social networks which are more diverse for the English than for the Afrikaans students moderate the political socialization role of the mass media