Are self-censoring media less efficacious? Examining public perceptions of news efficacy in an autocratizing society

This article examines how the news audience in an autocratizing society judges the efficacy of the news media to carry out its normative roles and functions. When a society undergoes autocratization, the news media are subjected to increasing political control and may frequently self-censor. Unwillingness to report on sensitive information and viewpoints can limit the media’s ability to facilitate deliberation and inform the public. However, citizens with different political values and attitudes may understand self-censorship differently, leading to varying relationships between perceived media self-censorship and perceived news efficacy. Analysis of survey data from Hong Kong shows that perceived media self-censorship leads to lower levels of perceived news efficacy only among people with low levels of political trust and weak beliefs in law and order. For people who trust the political system and value law and order, perceived media self-censorship relates positively to perceived news efficacy. General theoretical implications are discussed.