Media Uses and Effects in New Democracies: The Case of Poland’s 2005 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections

To what extent are established democracies and new democracies moving closer together in terms of the impact of media messages in electoral campaigns? Drawing on a content analysis of main evening television news on flagship programs over two months during the Polish National Election Study’s two-wave panel study (N = 1,200) spanning parliamentary and presidential elections in September and October 2005, the authors identify the impact of media use on political knowledge, political participation, and political learning. They demonstrate the positive effect of media use on political knowledge, on participation in a variety of campaign activities other than voting, and on the stabilization of issue positions. Findings support those from recent elections in established democracies. The study suggests that in the context of more highly volatile electorates in the new democracies of East-Central Europe, campaign information in the news media plays a critical role in campaigns and electoral outcomes.

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