(iPoster) The Conditional Effects of Local Media Markets on Political Engagement

• In Event: Poster Sessions: Polarization, Identity, and Democratic Vulnerability & Political Communication I
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Political Communication I

Abstract

This project aims to investigate a central concern in American political communication. In an era of nationalized politics and fragmented media, do the characteristics of local media markets still influence citizens' engagement in politics? The prevailing narratives suggest that individual choices driven by partisanship, education and political interests are the primary determinants of media consumption. This study aims to challenge previous notions of the individualistic view by proposing that the structural conditions of Designated Market Areas (DMA, commercially defined regions of media targeting) create differential opportunities for political exposure that can either amplify or mitigate inequalities in participation.

By merging individual-level survey data from AP-NORC Media Insight data with DMA geographic level data on market size and advertising saturation, this project aims to analyze conditional effects of media environments. Specifically, examines whether living in high-saturation, competitive DMA disproportionately mobilizes citizens with lower levels of education and weaker partisan attachments, individuals who are less likely to actively seek out political information

I hypothesize that DMAs act as a structural force that shapes the costs and perceived benefits of acquiring political information.

Author

• Isabelle Gibson, University of Maryland