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Partisan Cues and the Media: Information Flows in the 1992 Presidential Election

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Russell J. Dalton ,
Paul A. Beck  and
Robert Huckfeldt
Russell J. Dalton
Affiliation:
University of California, Irvine
Paul A. Beck
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University
Robert Huckfeldt
Affiliation:
Indiana University
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Abstract

Electoral research acknowledges the growing significance of the mass media in contemporary campaigns, but scholars are divided on the nature of this influence. Using a unique database that includes both media content and public opinion, we examine the flow of partisan information from newspapers to the voters and assess the press's role in electoral politics and citizen learning. We find that the American press does not present clear and singular messages about presidential elections but, rather, multiple messages about the candidates and the campaign. In addition, perception of the information is shaped as much by an individual's political views as by the objective content. Despite the mixed messages, we find that a newspaper's editorial content is significantly related to candidate preferences in 1992. These results challenge the minimal effects interpretation of the media, because local newspapers can play a significant role in providing cues that influence voters' electoral calculus.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 92 , Issue 1 , March 1998 , pp. 111 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1998 

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