Perceived Media Influence
The role of the media in the field of politics is being largely and above all controversially debated: Do the media manipulate politics and the population? Or do politicians rather make use of the media? In this research project, the objectively measurable influence of the media itself is not in the focus of attention. The aim is rather to find out in what way individuals perceive the importance of the media for politics and what the consequences are. Thus the project is linked with theories like the Third-Person Effect or the “Influence of Presumed Media Influence”-approach. Core issues are: Does the perception of media influence on politics have an effect on the behaviour of the citizens? How does the individual citizen perceive himself in comparison to the general public?
To answer these and other questions, a survey was conducted amongst politicians, journalists and citizens. Results show, among other things, that the political influence of the media is thought to be stronger than the citizens’ influence. According to the opinion of those questioned, the influence of the media on political decisions has even increased in the last few years. Furthermore, the interviewees consider the influence of the media on their own formation of political opinion to be small, but to be much stronger on the political opinion of the general public.
Further surveys are in preparation.
Selected Publications
Dohle, M. & Vowe, G. (i.D.). Wahrnehmung der politischen Einflüsse von Medienangeboten. Third-Person-Effekte bei Bürgern, Journalisten und Politikern im Vergleich. In Christian Schemer, Werner Wirth & Carsten Wünsch (Hrsg.), Politische Kommunikation. Wahrnehmung, Verarbeitung, Wirkung. Baden-Baden: Nomos.
Selected Lectures
Dohle, M., Vowe, G. & Hartmann, T. (2010). The influence of presumed media influence in the field of politics and political journalism. Vortrag auf der 60. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), Singapur, 22.-26. Juni 2010.
Vowe, G. & Dohle, M. (2009). Welche Wirkungen auf die Klimapolitik werden den Medien zugeschrieben? Vortrag auf dem 24. Wissenschaftlichen Kongress der Deutschen Vereinigung für Politische Wissenschaft (DVPW), Kiel, 21.-25. September 2009.
Dohle, M. & Vowe, G. (2009). Subjektive Mediatisierung der Politik. Ergebnisse einer Befragung zur vermuteten politischen Bedeutung von Medien. Vortrag auf der Jahrestagung der DGPuK, Bremen, 29. April-1. Mai 2009.
Dohle, M. & Vowe, G. (2009). Wahrgenommene Einflüsse politischer Medienangebote. Eine Studie zu Third Person Effekten bei Bürgern, Journalisten und Politikern. Vortrag auf der Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Rezeptions- und Wirkungsforschung in der DGPuK, Zürich, 22.-24. Januar 2009.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Vowe
Dr. Marco Dohle