Source: Chance York, 785-532-6890, chancey@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Kristin Hodges, 785-532-6415, khodges2@k-state.edu

Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009

K-STATE 1xbet online games login FINDS THAT 18- TO 24-YEAR-OLD GROUP MORE POLITICALLY ACTIVE IN 2008 ELECTION, BUT NOT MORE POLITICALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE

MANHATTAN -- A study by three Kansas State University graduate students finds that the 18- to 24-year-old demographic became more politically active during the 2008 U.S. election season through the use of new media, but that the young adults 1xbet online games login not necessarily more knowledgeable about politics.

The K-State study examined young adults' media consumption and the effects of new media on their 1xbet online games login knowledge and 1xbet online games login activism. While the study showed that 18- to 24-year-olds were actively engaging in politics through media such as blogs and YouTube, their involvement did not increase their knowledge.

The K-State researchers conducting the study, all master's students in journalism and mass communications, 1xbet online games login Keunyeong Kim, and Sookyong Kim, both from Manhattan, and Chance York, Wamego. William Adams, K-State professor of journalism and mass communications, was the project adviser. The research was presented at the 2009 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication convention.

&1xbet online games login ;Politicians in general are so reliant on political polling, but politicians are not examining how much the voter knows about the issues they're voting on,&1xbet online games login ; York said.

The study targeted the 18- to 24-year-old demographic and examined the group's usage of new 1xbet online games login . The researchers surveyed more than 160 undergraduate students in February about their use of both traditional 1xbet online games login sources, including radio campaign commercials, and new 1xbet online games login sources, like blogs, to obtain information about presidential candidates and their campaign issues.

&1xbet online games login ;We were trying to find what information sources 18- to 24-year olds were looking at and how that might have affected their political activism and their level of political knowledge,&1xbet online games login ; York said.

The survey's measures for 1xbet online games login activism included yes or no questions that dealt with traditional and online forms of 1xbet online games login involvement. The traditional methods of activism included volunteering for a presidential candidate's campaign or attending a candidate's rally, while online forms of involvement included checking a presidential candidate's campaign Web site. The measure for 1xbet online games login knowledge was similar to a current events quiz with questions like the name of the U.S. secretary of defense.

The survey also measured the demographics of the students, including their 1xbet online games login affiliation and ideology and whether they voted in the 2008 election.

&1xbet online games login ;We found that the students were really politically active,&1xbet online games login ; York said. &1xbet online games login ;They talked about the campaigns with their friends, and a lot of people got online on a social networking site to talk about the campaigns. Not many wrote blogs, but a considerable amount kept up with blogs.&1xbet online games login ;

The study also found that most students 1xbet online games login not politically knowledgeable, York said. For instance, many students did not know what Guantanamo Bay was; some said it was a Caribbean resort.

There also was a set of people that 1xbet online games login both politically active and knowledgeable, and there was a high correlation between those two variables and voting.

&1xbet online games login ;People who were actually voting were both active and knowledgeable, and that wasn't affected by whether the student was a Democrat or Republican, or liberal or conservative,&1xbet online games login ; York said.

Additionally, the study indicated that among the 18- to 24-year-old demographic, the individuals who voted were not the ones using new media to obtain 1xbet online games login information.

The researchers also looked at the different types of new media, such as those that would be considered &1xbet online games login ;gatekeepers,&1xbet online games login ; where an editorial member controls the flow of knowledge, and &1xbet online games login ;gatewatchers,&1xbet online games login ; where information flows more freely.

The study showed that the more people used new media that would be considered &1xbet online games login ;gatewatched,&1xbet online games login ; such as blogs, the more likely they were to be politically active -- but not politically knowledgeable. New media that would be &1xbet online games login ;gatekept,&1xbet online games login ; such as online news articles, had less of an impact on political activism and no significant effect on political knowledge. Survey respondents' use of traditional media did not play a significant role in their political activism or political knowledge.

York said the study has limitations, particularly since the students 1xbet online games login not selected from a random sample.

&1xbet online games login ;What we can't say is that this is true for all 18-to 24-year-olds, and statistically we can't make a significant inference,&1xbet online games login ; York said. &1xbet online games login ;However, there is not a lot of research in this area, and so trying to forge out that path is a good start.&1xbet online games login ;