Political information and interpersonal conversations in a multimedia environment: A quantitative and qualitative examination of information practices in France

Abstract

This article is concerned with the way in which the Internet may affect political information patterns and interpersonal conversations about issues of public interest. It presents the first findings of a quantitative and qualitative study done in France about news consumption of traditional mass media and of the web. It investigates the impact of the Internet on information sources and studies the forms of information practices on the web. It also examines the difference between face-to-face discussions and online exchanges about politics and current events. Data show that even if digital practices are developing, the use of the mass media for political information still prevails, while political exchange mainly takes place in the ordinary social networks of daily life. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that people who are the most engaged in information and political practices on the Internet are also those who previously had a high interest in current events.