Page 256 - Media Effects Advances in Theory and Research

9. POLITICAL COMMUNICATION EFFECTS 245

become an important context and unit of analysis for research. Citizens’
active participation takes place primarily at the local level, and there is
considerable carryover from the networks formed in apolitical contexts to
activities traditionally thought of as political (Verba, Schlozman, & Brady,
1995).

Civic Participation. The civic turn has markedly broadened the crite-
ria for communication effects through the examination of local issues and
nontraditional forms of participation (McLeod, Daily, et al., 1999;
McLeod, Guo, et al., 1996) and interpersonal trust as a mediator (Shah,
1998; Shah, Kwak, & Holbert, 2001; Shah, McLeod, & Yoon, 2001). It has
redirected the study of participation toward the question of how civic
engagement is stimulated conjointly by local media use, local issue dis-
cussion, and community ties (McLeod, Daily, et al., 1996; McLeod,
Scheufele, & Moy, 1999; Stamm, Emig, & Hesse, 1997).

Community Focus. Community has been reconceptualized to meet
changing urban environments as a communicatively integrated unit
rapidly advancing to a networked form of social organization (Friedland,
2001a). Social networks, potentially facilitated by the new technology, are
seen as the structural linkages between individuals, neighborhoods, asso-
ciations, and the local media (Friedland & McLeod, 1999). Communities
serve as the arenas for citizen action and provide the context for norms
and expectations for such actions. In larger urban areas, neighborhoods
take on these functions and potentially convey a sense of belonging to res-
idents (Ball-Rokeach, Kim, & Matei, 2001).

Civic Socialization. That younger people participate less has been a
consistent finding over a half-century of political behavior research. Citi-
zen involvement increases with age. What is disturbing from research of
the past decade is that a cohort phenomenon may be at work along with
the maturational effect. For example, in the three presidential elections
(1988 to 1996), voter turnout in the 18–24 age group averaged 37%, 21%
lower than among all citizens (Casper & Bass, 1998). This compares unfa-
vorably with three previous elections (1972 to 1980), when the 18–24 age
group averaged 44% turnout, 17% below that of all citizens. Recent
cohorts have contributed most to the decline in other aspects of electoral
participation (Miller & Shanks, 1996) and in civic engagement (Putnam,
2000).
Also fueling concern are findings of cohort effects in the decline of
newspaper reading in recent decades (Peiser, 2000). News use is a strong
factor in stimulating youth participation (Chaffee, McLeod, & Wackman,
1973; Chaffee, Pan, & McLeod, 1995). The implication of the cohort effects