Learning about Public Affairs by Chinese College Students: Examining the Role of Media Use and Interpersonal Communication in Knowledge Acquisition

• Other Authors: Cui, Di (author.)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; Chinese
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/en/item/cuhk-1292148

公共事務知識對許多政治過程都有至關重要的意義。通過獲取公共事務知識，個體公民得以認清切身利益，並由此與公共生活形成一種認識論上的聯系。了解公共事務，也是公民進行有效協商和政治參與的前提。盡管西方政治傳播文獻對此多有探討，中國語境下的“知識獲取”研究卻相對匱乏。中國的媒介環境正處於劇烈變革之中：盡管國家管控依然存在，但市場化改革不斷深入，近年來互聯網逐漸跃升为信息交換、意見表達與社會動員的主流平台。媒介環境的變遷為研究“知識獲取”提供了意義豐富的語境。 === 本研究旨在探索中國大學生通過不同傳播渠道獲取公共事務知識的机制。本研究的實證數據來源於一項針對北京、上海和廣州在校大學生的問卷調查。調查共收回1，135份有效問卷，回收率為78%。該研究使用多元回歸分析與觀察變量通經分析(Path analysis with observed variables)對樣本數據進行分析。 === 本研究的主要發現有三個方面。首先，數據顯示新媒體渠道（如新聞網站和社交媒體）或已經開始取代傳統媒體渠道（如報紙和電視），成為最常規的新聞源。新聞獲取模式的改變，進一步導致不同媒介“致知”效果的變化。與以往研究不同，本研究發現新媒體新聞曝露可以增加使用者的公共事務知識，但傳統媒體的新聞曝露卻沒有類似效果。面對面的交談可以增加人們的公共事務知識和政治信息效能。然而社交媒體討論只能增加人們的政治信息效能，卻對實際的知識獲取沒有貢獻。 === 其次，本研究認為，檢測媒介的“致知”效果時，將媒介使用操作化為“媒介注意力”並不一定優於“媒介曝露”。孰優孰劣取決於我們所關注的媒體類型。結果顯示，“媒介曝露”能更好地檢測新媒體對知識獲取的影響，而“媒介注意力”則更有效地檢測傳統媒體對知識獲取的影響。這個區別並不只是一個技術問題，它關涉到知識獲取研究的理論假設。不同操作化所帶來的效果區別，可能與媒介使用模式的變化以及媒介使用時信息處理模式的改變有所關聯。 === 第三，中國公共事務知識的生產與傳播是一個政治建構的過程。媒介管控與互聯網治理則是這個建構過程的重要機制。主流媒體供給“主流知識”並以其構建一個關於社會現實的“主流認知”。研究發現，事實上還存在一部分“另類知識”。中國的媒介體系推廣“主流知識”並且減少“另類知識”流通。本研究同時發現，盡管存在管控，新媒體渠道可以散播“另類知識”。 === Public affairs knowledge plays a vital part in many political processes. By gaining public affairs knowledge, individual citizens discern their own interests and concerns, thus epistemologically connecting themselves to public life. Knowledge about public affairs is also a prerequisite for effective deliberation and political engagement. Though it has attracted much attention in Western political communication scholarship, knowledge acquisition has not been fully extended to the context of China. Few studies have examined public affairs knowledge in China’s rapidly transitioning, yet still controlled, media environment, where the Internet has lately risen to be a dominant platform for information exchange, opinion expression, and social mobilization. === This study explores how people can gain knowledge about public affairs through different communication channels in China’s complex media environment. The data come from a paper-and-pencil survey of college students in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The survey generated 1,135 valid responses, with a response rate of 78%. Multiple regression analyses and path analysis with observed variables were utilized for data analysis. === This study generates several main findings and arguments. First, new media sources (i.e., web sites and social media) are replacing or have replaced traditional media sources (i.e., television and newspaper) as the most regular means for information-seeking. The changing mode of news consumption leads to changes in the knowledge effects of different media. Unlike most existing findings, this study finds that exposure to new media can contribute to public affairs knowledge but exposure to traditional media does not have similar effects. Face-to-face discussion is a significant predictor of two types of knowledge and political information efficacy (PIE). Discussion on social media does not contribute to an actual increase in knowledge, but significantly predicts PIE. === Second, this study argues that operationalizing media use as media attention is not necessarily better than media exposure when examining knowledge effects. Instead, it depends on what kind of media is being examined. The difference is not only a technical issue, but also has profound implications for theorizing knowledge gained from media. The differential effects of media exposure and media attention may result from the changing use patterns of different media and the concomitant changes in the patterns of information processing when using a certain medium. === Third, the production and distribution of public affairs knowledge in China is politically constructed through media control and Internet governance. The media system is effective in promoting “mainstream knowledge” and downplaying “alternative knowledge.” It is also found that, despite censorship, new media channels play a role in disseminating alternative information. === Cui, Di. === Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2016. === Includes bibliographical references (leaves ). === Abstracts also in Chinese. === Title from PDF title page (viewed on …). === Detailed summary in vernacular field only. === Detailed summary in vernacular field only. === Detailed summary in vernacular field only. === Detailed summary in vernacular field only. === Detailed summary in vernacular field only.