Shaping Political Attitudes
The Impact of Interpersonal Communication and Mass Media
- Silvo Lenart - Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Other Titles in:
Political Communication
Political Communication
August 1994 | 155 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Recent research in the area of public opinion has focused most of its attention on the effect of the mass media, television in particular, as an influencing agent. The author argues that media effects are only half of the equation; the mass media cannot be seen as the exclusive source of political information. In a model of `total information flow', the media must share the political information environment with interpersonal communication. This volume bridges the gap between media and interpersonal communication and their combined effect on political attitudes and cognition.
PART ONE: PARADIGMS OF MEDIA AND INTERPERSONAL EFFECTS
Introduction
Media Influences in Politics
Levels of Interpersonal Influence
Levels of Analysis
PART TWO: DYNAMICS OF SOURCE INTERACTION
Multi-methodology
Experimental Evidence of Interaction
Media and Three Levels of Interpersonal Influence
PART THREE: THE PROCESS OF POLITICAL COMMUNICATION EFFECTS
Total Information Flow
Conclusions