Media Perceptions and Public Affairs Apathy in the Politically Inexperienced

Abstract

Although eligible to vote, college-age citizens are notorious for their failure to engage in even the most basic forms of public affairs participation. A survey (N = 420) conducted during the final days of the fall 2000 presidential election campaign examined associations between young adults' political apathy and their perceptions and use of the media. Study results indicated that participants' involvement, efficacy, and television news use-measured as attention to and time spent with television news programs-negatively predicted political apathy. Cynicism and perceptions that television news was a beneficial source of information positively associated with apathy. Negativism toward campaigns had no relationship to apathy. The results show that when young people are more highly involved in public affairs, and when they have a strong sense of efficacy, they appear to be less likely to lapse into political apathy. The effects of television-the primary source of news for most young Americans-are double-edged, with more frequent use of television positively associated with political participation but satisfaction with it as a source positively associated with apathy.