Journal of Electoral Studies

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Home Issues Backissues Volume 31, No.1 The Impacts of Media Use on Voters' Campaign Issue Knowledge and Internal Political Efficacy-An Exploration of the 2000 Election in Taiwan

The Impacts of Media Use on Voters' Campaign Issue Knowledge and Internal Political Efficacy-An Exploration of the 2000 Election in Taiwan

Ching-Ching Chang
2002 / 05
Volume 9, No.1

pp.1-39
10.6612/tjes.2002.09.01.01-39
Paper

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between media use and voters' campaign issue knowledge and internal political efficacy. A telephone survey of one thousand voters in Taiwan was conducted to explore this research question. Results indicated that exposure to newspapers and attention to TV news led to enhanced campaign issue knowledge. Moreover, attention to polling news and exposure to televised forums were also significant predictors of voters' campaign issue knowledge. Additionally, the more attention voters paid to TV news, the more useful they perceived TV news to be. Contrary to expectations, media use did not contribute significant variance of voters' internal political efficacy.

Keywords

Political campaign

political advertising

election news

televised forums

call-in shows

campaign issue knowledge

internal political efficacy