Page 166 - Comparing Political Communication Theories, Cases, and Challenge

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Pippa Norris

TECHNICAL APPENDIX

Variable Definition and Source

Media Access
Newspapers Daily newspaper circulation (published at least four times a
week) per 1,000 people (1996). UNESCO Statistical
Yearbook 1999.
Television Sets Television sets in use per 1,000 people, 1999. International
Telecommunications Union World Telecommunications
Indicators Database 2000.
Radio Receivers Radio receivers in use per 1,000 people, 1997. International
Telecommunications Union World Telecommunications
Indicators Database 2000.
Online Users The percentage of online users in the adult population derived
from national surveys asking respondents whether they use
e-mail or the World Wide Web. The figures represent the
latest survey available in fall 2000. Available from the World
Wide Web at www.NUA.ie.
Hosts Computers with active Internet Protocol (IP) addresses
connected to the Internet, per 100 people, July 2000.
Available from the World Wide Web at www.Netcraft.com.
Hosts without a country code identification were weighted
and relocated (Pippa Norris 2001).
Press Freedom Scale Diversity of news content is measured in the 2000 Freedom
House annual survey of Press Freedom according to the
structure of the news industry; legal and administrative
decisions, the degree of political influence or control; the
economic influences exerted by the government or private
entrepreneurs; and actual incidents violating press
autonomy, including censorship, harassment, and physical
threats to journalists. The 100-point scale combines the
broadcasting and newspaper scores and the scale is reversed
so that a higher score represents greater press freedom.
Available from the World Wide Web at
www.FreedomHouse.org.
Media Access A summary-logged standardized scale of the proportion of
newspapers, television sets, radio receivers, online users, and
Internet hosts.
Communication Index This combines the Logged Media Access Scale and the Press
Freedom Scale.

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