Media Dissociation, Internet Use, and Antiwar Political Participation: A Case Study of Political Dissent and Action Against the War in Iraq

Media are thought to exert social control over dissenters by discouraging political expression and oppositional activities during periods of conflict. With the rise of the Internet, however, people play an increasingly active role in their media interactions, potentially reducing this media influence and increasing dissenters' likelihood of speaking out and taking action. To understand what spurs some dissenters to become politically active, we conceptualize the perceived discrepancy between mainstream media portrayals and an individual's own views as "media dissociation." This study, then, explores if people who are alienated from mainstream media engage in information gathering and discussion via the Internet, and whether these online behaviors lead to political participation aimed at social change. A Web-based survey of political dissenters conducted during the start of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq (N ??307) provides the case study data used to test relationships among media dissociation, Internet use, and antiwar activism. Structural equation modeling revealed that the more the individuals surveyed felt their views differed from mainstream media portrayals, the more motivated they were to use the Internet as an information source and discussion channel. These effects of media disassociation appear to be channeled through Internet behaviors, which then facilitate antiwar political action.