Changing environment, rising new media: Retesting the exposure-acceptance model in China

AbstractBased on the China data from the World Values Survey (WVS) 2000, Kennedy found a significant curvilinear relationship between education and regime support in the rural subsample but not in the urban subsample, partially verifying the exposure-acceptance model. He attributed this phenomenon t...

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Main Authors: Zhehao Liang, You Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Series:Cogent Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2023.2175432
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author Zhehao Liang
You Li
author_facet Zhehao Liang
You Li
author_sort Zhehao Liang
collection DOAJ
description AbstractBased on the China data from the World Values Survey (WVS) 2000, Kennedy found a significant curvilinear relationship between education and regime support in the rural subsample but not in the urban subsample, partially verifying the exposure-acceptance model. He attributed this phenomenon to the “urban–rural gap” in educational opportunities in China. In the past two decades, China has narrowed this gap. Has this changed the patterns of regime support? To revisit this question, we replicate Kennedy’s analyses using the WVS 2018 data. The results fail to support the exposure-acceptance model in either the rural or the urban subsample. This inconsistency may stem from the explosive growth of new media in China over the past 20 years, which has made criticism more accessible. New media can affect people’s media exposure patterns in a way that goes beyond the scope of the exposure-acceptance model. Therefore, we introduce the measure of new media usage into Kennedy’s models and find a linear negative effect on regime support at the national level. We conclude that the applicability of the exposure-acceptance model may have declined in China due to the rise of new media. The long-term influence of new media on regime support in authoritarian nations should be explored in further research.
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spelling doaj.art-d7dc5e63bab5448281dc6cdb6d2a33ba2024-04-22T10:42:49ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Social Sciences2331-18862023-12-019110.1080/23311886.2023.2175432Changing environment, rising new media: Retesting the exposure-acceptance model in ChinaZhehao Liang0You Li1College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaSchool of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaAbstractBased on the China data from the World Values Survey (WVS) 2000, Kennedy found a significant curvilinear relationship between education and regime support in the rural subsample but not in the urban subsample, partially verifying the exposure-acceptance model. He attributed this phenomenon to the “urban–rural gap” in educational opportunities in China. In the past two decades, China has narrowed this gap. Has this changed the patterns of regime support? To revisit this question, we replicate Kennedy’s analyses using the WVS 2018 data. The results fail to support the exposure-acceptance model in either the rural or the urban subsample. This inconsistency may stem from the explosive growth of new media in China over the past 20 years, which has made criticism more accessible. New media can affect people’s media exposure patterns in a way that goes beyond the scope of the exposure-acceptance model. Therefore, we introduce the measure of new media usage into Kennedy’s models and find a linear negative effect on regime support at the national level. We conclude that the applicability of the exposure-acceptance model may have declined in China due to the rise of new media. The long-term influence of new media on regime support in authoritarian nations should be explored in further research.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2023.2175432new mediaexposure-acceptance modelChinaurban–rural gappolitical trustregime support
spellingShingle Zhehao Liang
You Li
Changing environment, rising new media: Retesting the exposure-acceptance model in China
Cogent Social Sciences
new media
exposure-acceptance model
China
urban–rural gap
political trust
regime support
title Changing environment, rising new media: Retesting the exposure-acceptance model in China
title_full Changing environment, rising new media: Retesting the exposure-acceptance model in China
title_fullStr Changing environment, rising new media: Retesting the exposure-acceptance model in China
title_full_unstemmed Changing environment, rising new media: Retesting the exposure-acceptance model in China
title_short Changing environment, rising new media: Retesting the exposure-acceptance model in China
title_sort changing environment rising new media retesting the exposure acceptance model in china
topic new media
exposure-acceptance model
China
urban–rural gap
political trust
regime support
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311886.2023.2175432
work_keys_str_mv AT zhehaoliang changingenvironmentrisingnewmediaretestingtheexposureacceptancemodelinchina
AT youli changingenvironmentrisingnewmediaretestingtheexposureacceptancemodelinchina