Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks
Liberal democratic contexts have been the focus of much of the existing research on the relationship between incidental exposure to news on social media and political participation gaps. There is also a limited understanding of the factors that influence the mobilizing or reinforcing role of inciden...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/161975 |
| _version_ | 1811688070838222848 |
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| author | Ahmed, Saifuddin Gil-Lopez, Teresa |
| author2 | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information |
| author_facet | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Ahmed, Saifuddin Gil-Lopez, Teresa |
| author_sort | Ahmed, Saifuddin |
| collection | NTU |
| description | Liberal democratic contexts have been the focus of much of the existing research on the relationship between incidental exposure to news on social media and political participation gaps. There is also a limited understanding of the factors that influence the mobilizing or reinforcing role of incidental news exposure in this process. This study examines the role of incidental news exposure on social media in political interest-driven participatory gaps in Singapore. It also examines how education, social network size, and heterogeneous political discussions further modify the effect of incidental news on the participatory gaps between high and low political interest groups. Findings from primary survey data support the reinforcement thesis, suggesting that politically disinterested individuals are negatively affected by frequent incidental news exposure, but those with high political interest benefit. Moderated moderation analyses indicate that these participatory gaps only exist at higher education levels and within more extensive social networks. Further, politically disinterested citizens are at risk for further disengagement if they encounter news accidentally in bigger social networks or engage in heterogeneous political discussion. The study contributes to the growing scholarship on the effects of incidental news exposure on political participation by highlighting the role of education and social network characteristics in amplifying the incidental news-based participation gaps. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T05:26:22Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/161975 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T05:26:22Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1619752022-09-28T01:29:47Z Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks Ahmed, Saifuddin Gil-Lopez, Teresa Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Social sciences::Mass media Social sciences::Communication Accidental News Political Interest Liberal democratic contexts have been the focus of much of the existing research on the relationship between incidental exposure to news on social media and political participation gaps. There is also a limited understanding of the factors that influence the mobilizing or reinforcing role of incidental news exposure in this process. This study examines the role of incidental news exposure on social media in political interest-driven participatory gaps in Singapore. It also examines how education, social network size, and heterogeneous political discussions further modify the effect of incidental news on the participatory gaps between high and low political interest groups. Findings from primary survey data support the reinforcement thesis, suggesting that politically disinterested individuals are negatively affected by frequent incidental news exposure, but those with high political interest benefit. Moderated moderation analyses indicate that these participatory gaps only exist at higher education levels and within more extensive social networks. Further, politically disinterested citizens are at risk for further disengagement if they encounter news accidentally in bigger social networks or engage in heterogeneous political discussion. The study contributes to the growing scholarship on the effects of incidental news exposure on political participation by highlighting the role of education and social network characteristics in amplifying the incidental news-based participation gaps. 2022-09-28T01:29:47Z 2022-09-28T01:29:47Z 2022 Journal Article Ahmed, S. & Gil-Lopez, T. (2022). Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks. Telematics and Informatics, 68, 101764-. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101764 0736-5853 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/161975 10.1016/j.tele.2021.101764 2-s2.0-85121907861 68 101764 en Telematics and Informatics © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
| spellingShingle | Social sciences::Mass media Social sciences::Communication Accidental News Political Interest Ahmed, Saifuddin Gil-Lopez, Teresa Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks |
| title | Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks |
| title_full | Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks |
| title_fullStr | Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks |
| title_short | Incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps: unraveling the role of education and social networks |
| title_sort | incidental news exposure on social media and political participation gaps unraveling the role of education and social networks |
| topic | Social sciences::Mass media Social sciences::Communication Accidental News Political Interest |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/161975 |
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