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Eighty children in grades three to six were interviewed about their affective responses and their interest in war‐related news during the Gulf war. Results showed that children who felt more personally vulnerable and experienced more enduring upset during the war were more interested in neutral/background news (but not in casualty news) and avoided exposure to news coverage of the war more often. Children reported moderate interest in casualty news, and supplemental analyses indicated that one reason for watching such content was a desire to remain informed about the war (surveillance). Also, a need for reassurance appeared to reduce interest in casualty‐related news.
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Hoffner et al. (1994) studied this question.
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