STUDIES examining the role of mass communication in young people's learning about politics indicate that the media contribute to political socialization, but the research does little to unravel the complexities of the process. By treating the media exposure patterns, the criterion variables, and the audience as unidimensional concepts, these studies fail to tease out the more specific effects that might exist for certain media, certain variables, or certain audience categories. The present study attempts to address these shortcomings by comparing the socialization effects of exposure to four media sources of political information-television news, radio news, newspaper news, and newsmagazines-on several specific types of political knowledge and behavior. The study also explores differences in effects for certain subgroups of young people.