Third-Person Perception for Foreign Media Influence and its Implications for National Culture Policy Support

• In Event: Innovative International Media Research

Abstract

As the media market becomes more globalized, it is easier for local audiences to be exposed to foreign media content. Because media content is a cultural product, there has been active controversy over the negative cultural influence of foreign media. Although empirical findings had generally discredited the foreign media’s cultural influence on local audiences, concern about foreign media’s ‘cultural invasion’ continues in recent popular discourse. Based on the ‘third-person effect theory,’ which has never been tested in the cross-border media effect literature, this study finds irregular viewers of foreign TV dramas, but not regular viewers, believe that foreign dramas negatively affect others cultural identities but not its own. Also, this study finds that third-person perception is positively related with stronger support for national culture policy aimed at protecting local identity. This study’s findings theoretically explain (1) why negative cultural influence of foreign media, which has been discredited in most empirical studies, continues in popular discourses; and (2) how such third-person perception is related to public opinion about national culture policy. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Authors

• Young Min Baek, Yonsei U

• Hye Min Kim, Yonsei University