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Television News and Citizens' Explanations of National Affairs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Shanto Iyengar
Shanto Iyengar*
Affiliation:
State University of New York, Stony Brook
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Abstract

Causal beliefs are important ingredients of public opinion. Citizens are able to identify the causes of complex national issues and do so spontaneously. Evidence is presented that individuals' explanations of political issues are significantly influenced by the manner in which television news presentations “frame” these issues. These results are politically consequential, for individuals' explanations of national issues independently affect their assessments of presidential performance.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 81 , Issue 3 , September 1987 , pp. 815 - 831
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1987

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