Testing the Knowledge Gap Hypothesis in South Korea: Traditional News Media, the Internet, and Political Learning

Analyzing data from a survey of South Korean respondents, this study explores the role of news media in informing the audience about politics. In particular, it is examined whether different forms of news media function to increase the gap in political knowledge between socioeconomic classes. Consistent with findings in the United States, newspaper reading was positively related to political learning. Use of political web sites also indicated a small learning effect. Data supported the knowledge gap hypothesis. There was a considerable gap in political knowledge between highly educated and less-educated respondents. More importantly, the gap was even greater among heavy newspaper readers and among political Web users. These findings indicate that newspapers and the Internet may function to increase the gap between social classes.