Examining Differential Gains from Mass Media and their Implications for Participatory Behavior

The idea of interpersonal discussions among citizens being the “soul of democracy” has been treatedalmost as a truism in recent research on media, interpersonal communication, and democratic citizenship. Without a doubt, there is strong evidence to support the notion that interpersonal discussion of politics is a key antecedent of political participation. This study proposes that the relationships between hard news media use, interpersonal discussion of politics, and participatory behavior are far more complex than previously assumed. Specifically, it is expected that hard news media use has an overall positive main effect on political participation. This main effect, however, cloaks significantly different effects for people who talk to others about politics rather frequently and those who do not. National survey data support the differential gains model for newspaper andtelevision hardnews use. This article explores explanations for this phenomenon and implications for future research and policy.