New channels,new ways of becoming informed? Examining the acquisition of public affairs knowledge by young people in China

Abstract

People always rely on a specific media environment to acquire knowledge about public affairs. This pilot study investigates gain of public affairs knowledge as an effect of media use and interpersonal discussion in China. Based on a contextual understanding of China’s press system, this study explores the mainstream and alternative forms of public affairs knowledge and the ways they are linked with use of new media (i.e., web news and social media) and traditional media (i.e., newspaper and television). An analysis of survey data first shows that television news and web news have direct positive effects on mainstream knowledge, and only web news directly contributes to alternative knowledge. Second, news from newspapers, television, the web and social media have indirect effects on both mainstream and alternative forms of public affairs knowledge through elaboration and interpersonal discussion. Third, elaboration is only associated with alternative knowledge, whereas interpersonal discussion is associated with both mainstream and alternative knowledge. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.