Research Paper

Running Head: NEWS MEDIA & POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT 1
News Media Consumption & Political Engagement in College Students
Megan Viertel, Emilie Dalsing, Whitnee Hale, Jack Carroll
Loras College
Abstract This study explores the relationship between news consumption and political engagement in
college students. It is hypothesized that students who are exposed to more news media will be more likely
to be political engaged. 110 students from Loras College students completed questionnaires regarding
demographics, news consumption habits, and political interest and engagement. Results found that news
media consumption was related to political engagement in some ways. Students who read the newspaper
in the last month also had an increase in the number of political conversations that students reported
having on a weekly basis. Those who reported regular consumption of digital and internet news were
more likely to have voted in a national election. Finally, those who follow one or more politicians on
social media were more likely to be invested in the political future of the United States.
NEWS MEDIA & POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT 2
Introduction
In today’s political climate, it is becoming increasingly important for citizens of the
United States to exercise their right to vote in order to uphold the democratic system. According
to the Pew Research Center, only “28.5% of estimated eligible voters” voted in the 2016
presidential election primaries (DeSilver, 2016, para. 1). Engaging in politics has become “less
compelling” to voters over the years (Carlisle & Patton, 2013, p. 884). With the rise of
technology—especially social media—younger generations possess additional distractions from
politics and current events. In order to ensure the continued success of U.S. democracy, the
developing generations—college students and younger—must be politically engaged and active.
Thus, the aim of this quantitative study is to determine whether a relationship exists between
news media consumption and political engagement among college-aged students. This topic is
crucial for investigation because the results will demonstrate which resources may aid college
students in feeling more so equipped to engage in the political world.
In advance of addressing the existing literature, there are several concepts that necessitate
discussion. The first concept of utmost significance to this study is coined political engagement.
According to Colby (2008), political engagement “includes community and civic involvement
that has a systemic dimension and various forms of engagement with public policy issues, as
well as electoral politics at all levels” (p. 4). Therefore, political engagement involves activities
such as voting, protesting, volunteering for campaigns, supporting candidates (i.e. using yard
signs and bumper stickers to convey support), and participating in political conversations both in
person and on social media. These political activities “are driven by systemic-level goals, a
desire to affect the shared values, practices, and policies that shape collective life” (Colby, 2008,
p. 4). In order to be fully politically engaged, one must be aware of current events. News media
consumption directly correlates with one’s “current events knowledge” (Diddi & LaRose, 2006,
p. 205). Allern and Blach-Ørsten (2011) share that “what distinguishes news media from other
media … is primarily their role as representatives of journalism and news as an institution” (p.
94). Thus, news media refers to any form of mass media (i.e. newspaper, social media, or
television) that provides factual information concerning current or historical events. The
consumption of news media heightens viewers’ awareness of social and political happenings,
both domestically and abroad.
Comparatively, technological news media consumption consists of both the internet and
social media. In terms of the internet, political engagement may be placed into two different
categories. According to Kushin and Yamamoto (2010), the first category “focuses on
information-seeking behaviors in which the individual gathers information by attending to
internet sources” (p. 611). Conversely, the second category is an increasingly active process “in
which the individual interacts with others or participates in online communities” (Kushin &
Yamamoto, 2010, p. 611). This relates more so to social media, which relies “primarily on
interaction among users” (Kushin & Yamamoto, 2010, p. 611). The users generate the content
with social media, whereas content is generally produced prior to consumption on traditional
internet sources. Social media includes Web 2.0 creations such as social networking sites, blogs,
microblogs, video-sharing sites, and instant messaging, among others (Kushin & Yamamoto,
2010, p. 612). Essentially, social media produces increasingly accessible news and presents it in
a manner that is comprehensible to young adults.

This notion—concerning social media’s role in political engagement—correlates with the
final concept that is essential to this study: political information efficacy (PIE). PIE is typically
“defined as an individual’s feeling that he or she has the ability to influence the political process”
(Kaid, McKinney, & Tedesco, 2007, p. 1096). Likewise, PIE is comprised of two separate
dimensions: internal and external. Kaid et al. (2007) note that external efficacy involves “beliefs
about the responsiveness of governmental authorities and institutions to citizens’ demands” (p.
1096). On the other hand, internal efficacy is manifested in “beliefs about one’s own competence
to understand, and to participate effectively in, politics” (Kaid et al., 2007, p. 1096). If an
individual believes his or her voice will be heard, he or she may feel encouraged to engage in
politics. As revealed by Pennington, Winfrey, Warner, and Kearney (2015), “PIE is especially
important because low levels of information efficacy can decrease confidence in political
knowledge and prevent young people from voting in an election” (p. 280). Therefore, individuals
who bear increasing accessibility to political information—as a result of extensive social media
usage—are seemingly more so likely to believe that they possess the necessary knowledge to
engage politically.
Additionally, there are three forms of variables included in this study. First, the predictor
variables consist of news media consumption and varying types of news media. Second, the
outcome variable involves the level of political engagement as result of consuming the news
media. Finally, the third form concerns moderating variables. Moderating variables include the
participant’s age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, political orientation, and religious beliefs.
Thus, these three variables led to the formulation of the hypothesis that the researcher’s plan to
test:
Hypothesis: Routine news media consumption increases political engagement and strengthens
partisan preferences.
Literature Review
How people select their sources of news has been a question that has been around for
years. It once started as what newspapers were available, to what websites users viewed and now
it has reached what social media apps are the most popular. For some it requires constant
viewing and usage of apps to find something similar to what they are already viewing. In
“Getting Hooked on News” it has been found that “the consumer lapses into habitual patterns of
media consumption in order to conserve mental resources, rather than repeatedly engaging in
action selection” (Diddi & LaRose, 2006, p. 194-195).
It is not a surprise that many young people get their information through social media and
internet-based news media. The highest rated reasons for social media usage are because of
escape or passage of time (Diddi & LaRose, 2006). When it comes to college students using the
web, students use it for both academic and general information, like news (Diddi & LaRose,
2006). This article states that as time goes on media usage is increasing but to what extent does it
persuade people to lean more to one side?
Using the media for information about general or specific topics can help someone gather
the information they need. However, gathering all of this can also lead to conflicts between
people of different views (Dilliplane, 2011). Because the use of media for expanding knowledge
has risen over the past decade, “a growing supply of news sources tailored to specific political
preferences” (Dilliplane, 2011, p. 289) has given people more access to seeing what they choose
to see and not representing both political parties.

Our political participation is shaped by the amount of news we consume through the
media (Dilliplane, 2011). Dilliplane (2011) explained that while most people do tend to watch
news that supports their beliefs, “likeminded news increases the number of campaign activities
performed” but that “conflicting news depresses it” (p. 299). This means that the amount and
type of news society consumes will affect their political beliefs and participation.
Social media is the main way young adults can have the most political interaction which
explains why politics has seen a more media-based turned in advertisements in the past few
years. Social media allows people to participate which is why politicians find social media to be
helpful in their campaigns. Through social media, politicians can get information, state opinions
and communicate with a large number of people at once (Storsul, 2014). This helps younger
generations feel as if they are more included in politics because they are given a sense of
inclusion while being with others that support their views. Storsul explains that younger
generations are the ones who have the most impact on the future of America. It is important for
young adults to understand the value of being politically active; the relationship between social
media and politics helps these ages understand this.
Society lives in an internet based world where most people get their information from
various social media apps and websites. Results of a recent study show that both social media
and traditional media are “positive and significant predictors of people’s social capital and civic
and political participatory behaviors online and offline” (Gil de Zúñiga et al., 2012, p. 319).
Social media networks and the frequency and size of political discussions also impact the levels
of participation and views social media users have.

Young adults between 18 to 24 are among the ages to use the most social media
platforms. “78% of 18-24-year-olds use Snapchat” and “71% of Americans in this age group
now use Instagram and close to half (45%) are Twitter users” (Anderson & Smith, 2018, p. 1).
Many of these users visit the sites multiple times a day which leads to seeing political ads on
their timelines.
Because the use of social media in young adults is so high, politicians now use these
networks to engage the audience. “In the past year, 34% of Americans have taken part in a group
on social media that share interest in an issue or cause” (Anderson et al., 2018, p. 1). Politician’s
use of social media also leads to more civilian participation because social media users relate
hashtags and profile picture-frames to show their support. This article also explains that as of last
year, more than half of US adults engaged in one political activity through their social media
account/s (Anderson et al., 2018, p.1).
Method
Design
As aforementioned, the primary purpose of this quantitative study was to empirically
evaluate whether the amount of news media consumed predicts subsequent political engagement
in a sample of Loras College students. This study employed a cross-sectional, quantitative survey
method. This survey was the preferred method of collecting data because it allowed for a rapid
turnaround in data collection and was convenient for gauging students’ attitudes and behaviors.
An experimental design was not adopted because it would likely have caused a greater
distraction in faculty classrooms, in comparison to a brief survey. Likewise, a cross-sectional
approach was employed because of a lack of adequate time available to conduct a longitudinal
study. The cross-sectional approach was favorable because it could be administered over the
course of one week, allowing the researchers to complete the study in the time allotted.
Therefore, the surveys were administered beginning on a Tuesday, and all data was collected by
the following Tuesday.
In terms of the survey designs, there were two forms implemented during this study. The
first form involved paper copies of the survey that were administered during a given professor’s
course and were collected immediately upon participant completion. This form was beneficial
because it created a sense of compliance on behalf of the participants, as the professor was
highly encouraging them to complete the survey. By contrast, this form of data collection was
slightly unfavorable in the sense that the surveys wasted an extensive amount of paper, and it
was difficult to attend professors’ courses if they did not align with the researchers’ schedules.
Thus, the second form of data collection involved circulating a link—both to professors and
student organizations—of an online form of the survey. Although the researchers were not able
to witness participants completing the surveys in this manner, it was a preferential form because
of its increasing convenience and accessibility to the student population. Moreover,
implementing both forms of the survey was exceedingly beneficial in increasing the amount of
responses received.
Procedures
As the aim of this study revolved around young adults’ political engagement, Loras
College students were considered a suitable population. The researchers aimed to receive at least
one hundred respondents because a larger number was not feasible based on the amount of time
allotted for the task. The initial population size consisted of 168 respondents, but incomplete
recorded data resulted in a final population of 110 respondents—55 females and 55 males.
Additionally, the sampling design was a multistage procedure in which the researchers identified
clusters of either classrooms or student organizations, and then sampled within them. Thus, this
sample was random in the sense that the researchers did not know who the members of each
course or organization necessarily were prior to administering the survey, but it was a
convenience sample as well because it was based merely on accessibility. Unfortunately, there
was not enough time to allow for a stratification of the sample prior to administering the surveys.
Measures
Regarding the actual survey instrument utilized in this study, the researchers mainly
developed the instrument internally, but incorporated a few modified questions from previous
literature as well. The key content sections in the instrument included a cover letter and the
items. The items consisted of initial demographic questions, in addition to questions regarding
news media consumption habits (i.e. type and amount of news consumed regularly) and political
engagement (i.e. political views, views on voting). The modified questions from previous
literature primarily regarded political engagement, and a sample question from Donnelly-Smith
(2008) read: “In a given week, how many political conversations do you engage in?” (p. 551).
Comparatively, a modified political engagement question from Shulman and Levine (2012) read
as follows: “How strongly do you agree/disagree with the following statement: ‘I am hopeful that
my participation in politics can bring about change’” (p. 37). As these questions demonstrate,
continuous scales, categorical scales, and fill-in-the-blank responses were implemented into the
instrument. Overall, the researchers believe the instrument proves valid because the items
measure the intended content, the results correlate with other results, and the items measure
NEWS MEDIA & POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
10
hypothetical constructs (Creswell & Creswell, 2018, p. 153). Lastly, the data will be analyzed
utilizing the statistical software program IBM SPSS in order to determine whether a relationship
exists between news media consumption and political engagement among college students.
Results
The sample consisted of 110 participants. 55 identified as male and 55 identified as
female. Approximately 42% were 21, 20% were 22 or older, 19% were 20, 14% were 19, and
6% were 18. The majority of respondents indicated that they perceived their families as being in
the middle class (74.55%) followed by working class (13.64%), upper class (6.36%), and lower
class (4.55%). The sample was slightly more liberal than conservative. A combined total of
40.9% of respondents were either very liberal (15.45%) or moderately liberal (25.45%) whereas
a total of 24.55% of respondents were either very conservative (3.64%) or moderately
conservative (20.91%). However, 33.64% of respondents identified as neutral.
Most respondents were white (81.82%. 9.09% were Hispanic/Latinx, 4.55% were
biracial/multiracial, 2.73% were African American, and .6% were Pacific Islander.
Catholic/Christian was the religion category with the most responses (67.27%). The second
largest was non-religious at 22.64%, followed by spiritual at 5.45% and other at 2.73%.
Additionally, most respondents were straight (88.18%). 4.55% identified as gay or lesbian and
.9% identified as bisexual. 78.18% of respondents were employed; 21.82% were not employed.
22.73% of respondents had majors in communication, 27.27% had majors in the social sciences,
16.36% in the humanities, 16.36% in business studies, and 13.64% in sciences, math, and/or
technology. 3.64% of respondents were undeclared in their majors.

11
62.7% of respondents use Facebook daily; 64.5%% use Twitter daily; 75.7% use
Instagram daily; 85.5% use Snapchat daily; 45.5% use YouTube daily. 58.2% of respondents
claimed that they have read a newspaper (local, school, or national) in the last month. 31.8% of
respondents watch CNN on a weekly basis whereas 15.5% watch FoxNews weekly. 20.9% of
respondents watch NBC News weekly, 14.5% of respondents watch CBS News weekly, 28.2%
watch ABC News weekly, 9.1% watch MSNBC weekly, and 25.5% watch local news weekly.
40.9% of respondents do not watch any digital news from the sources listed on a weekly basis.
Numbers are even lower for respondents who read the Huffington Post (12.7%), Buzzfeed
(26.4%), Yahoo (5.5%), and Google News (18.2%). 53.6% of respondents do not consume
Internet news from the four sources listen on a regular basis. A similar pattern exists for print
news. 11.8% of respondents read the New York Times on a regular basis. 2.7% read the LA
Times, 13.6% read TIME magazine, 15.5% read USA Today, 15.5% read the Wall Street
Journal, and 20.9 read the Washington Post on a regular basis. 57.3% of respondents do not
consume news from the print sources listed on a regular basis.
Data from the political survey questions uncovered that 80% of respondents skip political
advertisements on social media, when given the option. Out of television, YouTube, Facebook,
radio, and Twitter, the most respondents see the more political advertising on television (48.2%),
then YouTube (23.6%) followed by Facebook (10.9%). On average, respondents estimated that
Loras students have 3.7 political conversations and that they hear 2.973 political conversations
weekly on campus. 53.6% of respondents believe that it is neither common nor rare to hear
political conversations on campus. 27.3% of respondents believe that hearing political
conversations on campus is either common or very common; 19.1% believe it is either rare or
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very rare. The mean number of political conversations that respondents believe they participate
in weekly was 3.225.
56.4% of respondents have voted in a national election and 64.5% of respondents have
voted in a local/state election. 68.2% respondents have visited a political candidate’s social
media pages or website and 44.6% currently follow one or more politicians on at least one social
media platform. When presented with the statement “I am invested in the political future of the
United States,” 57.3% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed. 30.9% were neutral on the
statement. When presented with the statement “I am hopeful that my participation in politics can bring
about change,” 62.7% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed. 30.9% were neutral on the
statement. When presented with the statement “My political participation is connected to my education
level,” 57.3% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed. 24.5% were neutral on the statement.
Finally, when asked what Loras’ political leaning is, 7.27% of respondents said very liberal, 35.45% said
liberal, 34.55% said neutral, 19.09% said conservative, and 2.73% said very conservative.
Figure 4.1 (Appendix B) shows that respondents who read the newspaper in the last
month were more likely to have multiple weekly political conversations. This finding suggests
that regular newspaper consumption increases one’s involvement in political discourse. Figures
4.2 and 4.3 show that respondents who watched one or more of the digital or internet news
sources listed in the survey were slightly more likely to have voted in a national election.
However, print media consumption did not have much of an effect on voting. This could mean
that those who consume news media from digital or internet sources may be more likely to vote.
Finally, Figure 4.4 shows that respondents who follow one or more politicians on social media
were more likely to strongly agree or agree with the statement: “I am invested in the political future
of the United States.” Generally, this implies that social media affects one’s attitude toward politics.
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Discussion
The hypothesis, routine news media consumption increases political engagement and
strengthens partisan preferences, was confirmed. The study found that the more participants were
politically engaged, the more likely it was that they consumed news media regularly. When it
came to newspaper consumption, about 64% percent of participants who said that they engage in
zero political conversations a week also said that they do not read the newspaper. However, as
the amount of political conversations in a week increased, newspaper consumption increased as
well. Ten participants who said they had five political conversations a week said that they read
the newspaper, while only one said that they did not. When to came to digital news sources,
66.1% of participants who voted in a national election said that they use digital news sources,
while only 33.9% said they do not. Interestingly enough, over half of those who said they have
never voted in a national election said they use digital news sources. This could be because the
survey was given to college students, and anyone who is currently a freshman and most
sophomores would not have been old enough to participate in the 2016 election. Thirty
participants stated that they were neutral when it comes to how invested they are in the political
future of the US. 61.8% of those participants said they do not follow politicians on social media.
This changed as investment increased, however. Of the 24 participants who said that they are
strongly invested in the political future of the U.S., 20 of them said they follow politicians on
social media. These trends on the data help to confirm the hypothesis.
Conclusion
Routine news media consumption increases political engagement and strengthens partisan
preferences. In society today is it important that American citizens exercise their right to vote
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and their right to support political candidates of their choosing. News consumption can be either
technological media, like the internet and social media apps, or print media, like newspapers and
journals. Political engagement is rising through younger generations as they are seeing and
interacting with more politics through news on social media. Our results showed that some forms
of news consumption were correlated with an increase in political engagement, though we cannot
be certain that outside factors were not at play.
This study looked at how routine viewing of news media consumptions increases political
engagement and strengthens partisan preferences. The results were positive but because we
solely viewed Loras College students that were typically only male or female they may not relate
to others who are not in college or identify as another gender. Timeliness of this survey is also a
factor into the type of data collected. The results could still be related to anyone of similar ages
and genders. When reaching out to subjects it is important that there is a variety like students
outside of the classes we share and students outside our majors. Alongside that, we should’ve
also reached out to students that categorized themselves as genders other than male or female
because reaching out to different students and genders would have provided more diverse
answers. The timing of this study may have also affected our results because it had taken place
after the Midterm Elections had passed. If this survey had been delivered earlier while the
campaigning was still occurring more participants would’ve had stronger feelings and opinions
during the survey. Although positive and accurate data was collected through this study, looking
forward into more quantitative research and surveys more considerations should be taken. It is
important that we factor in how popular of a topic it is so that we know what categories of people
to reach out to, how many to reach out to, and when would be the best time to reach them.
15
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Appendix A
Figure 1.1 - Respondents’ Gender
Figure 1.2 - Respondents’ Age

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Figure 1.3 - Respondents’ Family Class
Figure 1.4 - Respondent’s Political Affiliation

20
Figure 1.5 - Respondents’ Race
Figure 1.6 - Respondent’s Religion

21
Figure 1.7 - Reponsondents’ Sexual Orientation
Figure 1.8 - Respondents’ Employment Status

22
Figure 1.9 - Respondents’ Major
Figure 2.1 - Social Media Platforms Respondents Use Daily

23
24
25
Figure 2.2 - Do Respondents Read Newspaper
Figure 2.3 - Digital News Sources Watched Regularly by Respondents

26
27
Figure 2.4 - Internet News Sources Watched Regularly by Respondents

28
Figure 2.5 - Print News Sources Watched Regularly by Respondents

29
Figure 3.1 - Do Respondents Skip Political Advertisements

30
Figure 3.2 - On Which Medium Do Respondents See the Most Political Advertisements
Figure 3.3 - How Many Political Discussions Do Respondents Think the Average Student at
Loras Engages in Weekly
Figure 3.4 - How Many Political Discussions Do Respondents Hear Weekly on Loras’ Campus
31
Figure 3.5 - How Common Do Respondents Think It Is To Hear Political Conversations At Loras
Figure 3.6 - How Many Political Conversations Do Respondents Participate In Weekly
Figure 3.6 - Did Respondents Vote in the 2016 Presidential Election

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Figure 3.7 - Have Respondents Ever Voted in a National Election
Figure 3.8 - Did Respondents Vote in the 2018 State/Local Elections

33
Figure 3.9 - Have Respondents Ever Voted in a State/Local Election
Figure 3.10 - Have Respondents Ever Visited a Political Candidate’s Website or Social Media
Pages
34
Figure 3.11 - Do Respondents Follow One or More Politicians on At Least One Social Media Platform
Figure 3.12 - How Strongly Do Respondents Agree/Disagree with the Following Statement: “I am
invested in the political future of the United States.”
35
Figure 3.13 - How Strongly Do Respondents Agree/Disagree with the Following Statement: “I am
hopeful that my participation in politics can bring about change.”
Figure 3.14 - How Strongly Do Respondents Agree/Disagree with the Following Statement: “My political
participation is connected to my education level.”
36
Figure 3.15 - Where Would Respondents Place Loras College on the Following Scale
Figure 4.1 - Number of Political Conversations and Newspaper Consumption

37
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Figure 4.2 - Investment in U.S. Political Future And Digital News Consumption
Figure 4.3 - Investment in U.S. Political Future And Internet News Consumption
39
Figure 4.4 - Investment in U.S. Political Future and Whether Respondent Follows a Politician
on
Social Media
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Appendix B
1. What is your preferred gender identity?

a. Male
b. Female
c. Other
d. Prefer not to say
2. What is your age?

a. 18
b. 19
c. 20
d. 21
e. 22+
3. What class level do you perceive you and your family as belonging to?
a. Lower class
b. Working class
c. Middle class
d. Upper class
e. I don’t know
f. Prefer not to say
4. Where do you place yourself on the following scale?

a. Very liberal
b. Moderately liberal
c. Neutral
d. Moderately conservative
e. Very conservative
5. What is your race/ethnicity?

a. White
b. Black or African American
c. Native American
d. Asian American
e. Pacific Islander
f. Hispanic/Latinx
g. Biracial/multiracial
h. Other
i. Prefer not to say
6. What is your religious denomination?

a. Catholic/Christian
41
b. Jewish
c. Islamic
d. Spiritual
e. Other
f. Non-religious
7. What is your sexual orientation?

a. Straight
b. Gay/Lesbian
c. Bisexual
d. Asexual
e. Other
f. Prefer not to say
8. Are you employed?

a. Yes
b. No
9. What category does your major most closely align with? If you have more than one major,
choose the one that you identify with the most.
a. Social sciences
b. Humanities
c. Sciences/Math/Technology
d. Business studies
e. Communication
f. I have not declared a major yet
10. Which of the following social media platforms do you use daily? Check all that apply.
a. Facebook
b. Twitter
c. Instagram
d. Snapchat
e. YouTube
f. None of these
11. Have you read a newspaper (i.e. local newspaper, school newspaper, national newspaper)
in the last month?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know
12. Which of the following digital news sources do you view (i.e. on television, social media) on
a weekly basis or more? Check all that apply.
42
a. CNN
b. FoxNews
c. MSNBC
d. CBS News
e. ABC News
f. NBC News
g. Local news sources
h. I don’t regularly consume media from any of these news sources.
13. Which of the following Internet news sources do you regularly consume (either on the
company’s website or on social media)?
a. Huffington Post
b. Buzzfeed
c. Yahoo!
d. Google News
e. I don’t regularly consume media from any of these news sources.
14. Which of the following print news sources do you regularly consume (either in print or from
the source’s website/social media)?
a. New York Post
b. Los Angeles Times
c. TIME
d. USA Today
e. Washington Post
f. Wall Street Journal
g. I don’t regularly consume media from any of these news sources.
15. When given the chance, do you skip political advertisements instead of watching the entire
advertisement?
a. Yes, I skip the ad
b. No, I do not skip the ad
c. I do not see political ads
16. Of the following, on which media do you see/hear the most political advertisements?
a. Television
b. YouTube
c. Facebook
d. Radio
e. Twitter
f. Other
g. None
43
17. In a given week, how many political conversations do you think the average student at Loras
College engages in?
________
18. In a given week, how many political conversations do you overhear between other students
at Loras College?
________
19. At Loras College, how common are political discussions?

a. Very rare
b. Rare
c. Average
d. Common
e. Very common
20. In a given week, how many political conversations do you engage in?
________
21. Did you vote in the 2016 Presidential election?

a. Yes
b. No
22. Have you ever voted in a National Election?

a. Yes
b. No
23. Did you vote in the 2018 state/local election?

a. Yes
b. No
24. Have you ever voted in a state/local election?

a. Yes
b. No
25. Have you ever visited a political candidate’s website or social media pages?
a. Yes
b. No
26. Do you follow one or more politicians on at least one social media platform?
44
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know
27. How strongly do you agree/disagree with the following statement: “I am invested in the
political future of the United States.”
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree
28. How strongly do you agree/disagree with the following statement: “I am hopeful that my
participation in politics can bring about change.”
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neutral
d. Disagree
29. How strongly do you agree/disagree with the following statement: “My political participation
is connected to my education level.”
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neutral
d. Disagree
30. Where would you place Loras College on the following scale?
a. Very liberal
b. Liberal
c. Moderate
d. Conservative
e. Very conservative

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Running Head: NEWS MEDIA & POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT 1

News Media Consumption & Political Engagement in College Students

Megan Viertel, Emilie Dalsing, Whitnee Hale, Jack Carroll

In today’s political climate, it is becoming increasingly important for citizens of the

technology—especially social media—younger generations possess additional distractions from

developing generations—college students and younger—must be politically engaged and active.

students in feeling more so equipped to engage in the political world.

both domestically and abroad.

information-seeking behaviors in which the individual gathers information by attending to

a manner that is comprehensible to young adults.

This notion—concerning social media’s role in political engagement—correlates with the

action selection” (Diddi & LaRose, 2006, p. 194-195).

persuade people to lean more to one side?

to see and not representing both political parties.

media and politics helps these ages understand this.

of participation and views social media users have.

account/s (Anderson et al., 2018, p.1).

As aforementioned, the primary purpose of this quantitative study was to empirically

distraction in faculty classrooms, in comparison to a brief survey. Likewise, a cross-sectional

the following Tuesday.

of its increasing convenience and accessibility to the student population. Moreover,

The sample consisted of 110 participants. 55 identified as male and 55 identified as

a total of 24.55% of respondents were either very conservative (3.64%) or moderately

conservative (20.91%). However, 33.64% of respondents identified as neutral.

technology. 3.64% of respondents were undeclared in their majors.

consume news from the print sources listed on a regular basis.

political conversations on campus. 27.3% of respondents believe that hearing political

in weekly was 3.225.

the amount of political conversations in a week increased, newspaper consumption increased as

be certain that outside factors were not at play.

Studies,​ ​12(​ 1), 92-105. doi:10.1080/1461670x.2010.511958

Social Media. Retrieved from https://pewinternet.org/2018/07/11-public-attitudes-

engagement? An analysis of Facebook and the 2008 presidential election. Political

Research Quarterly, 66(4), 883-895.

SAGE Publications, Inc.

Pew Research Center​. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-

formation of news habits among college students in an internet environment. ​Journal of

Broadcasting & Electronic Media,​ ​50(​ 2), 193.

Review, 10(2/3), 37–39. Retrieved from

Individuals’ Social Capital, Civic Engagement and Political Participation. ​Journal of

Computer-Mediated Communication, 17(​ 2), 319-336. Retrieved from

Young Voters. ​American Behavioral Scientist,​ ​50(​ 9), 1093-1111.

Communication & Society,​ ​13(​ 5), 608–630.

Romney (on Facebook): An experimental evaluation of political engagement and efficacy

Shulman, H. C., & Levine, T. R. (2012). Exploring Social Norms as a Group-Level

Phenomenon: Do Political Participation Norms Exist and Influence Political Participation

on College Campuses? ​Journal of Communication​, ​62​(3), 532–552.

Figure 1.1 - Respondents’ Gender

Figure 1.2 - Respondents’ Age

Figure 1.3 - Respondents’ Family Class

Figure 1.4 - Respondent’s Political Affiliation

Figure 1.5 - Respondents’ Race

Figure 1.6 - Respondent’s Religion

Figure 1.7 - Reponsondents’ Sexual Orientation

Figure 1.8 - Respondents’ Employment Status

Figure 1.9 - Respondents’ Major

Figure 2.1 - Social Media Platforms Respondents Use Daily

Figure 2.2 - Do Respondents Read Newspaper

Figure 2.3 - Digital News Sources Watched Regularly by Respondents

Figure 2.4 - Internet News Sources Watched Regularly by Respondents

Figure 2.5 - Print News Sources Watched Regularly by Respondents

Figure 3.1 - Do Respondents Skip Political Advertisements

Figure 3.6 - How Many Political Conversations Do Respondents Participate In Weekly

Studies, 12( 1), 92-105. doi:10.1080/1461670x.2010.511958

Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-

formation of news habits among college students in an internet environment. Journal of

Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 50( 2), 193.

Individuals’ Social Capital, Civic Engagement and Political Participation. Journal of

Computer-Mediated Communication, 17( 2), 319-336. Retrieved from

Young Voters. American Behavioral Scientist, 50( 9), 1093-1111.

Communication & Society, 13( 5), 608–630.

on College Campuses? Journal of Communication, 62(3), 532–552.