Self-Efficacy and Call-in Political Television Show Use

A survey examines call-in political television show use prior to the 1992 presidential election in a large racially and economically diverse suburb of Washington, D.C. Self-efficacy, or the sense of being able to cope with the political system, predicts call-in use. This is true even after other media use is taken into account. Social class is not a strong predictor of call-in use, despite evidence that it is important to other news media use. Blacks use call-in programs more than do Whites, and Black members of the middle class report the highest use of call-in shows of any groups. Results are discussed in terms of the interactive nature of the call-in shows, a characteristic not present in traditional mass media.

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