perceptionsofmediaandmediaeffects

The second branch of my research explores the connection between endorsement of content restrictions and perceptions of media and media effects. Every effort to institute a form of media accountability, governmental or otherwise, reflects a desire to mitigate the negative effects (or bolster the positive effects) of mass communication.

The link between perceptions of media effects and a desire to censor the offending content is at the heart of research on the third-person effect. The third-person effect is a robust phenomenon whereby individuals estimate others are more affected by media content than they are themselves. Recent contributions to this body of literature have focused on understanding the dynamics of this phenomenon. One key variable is the desirability of the message – the assumption has been that the more harmful or antisocial the message is perceived to be, the greater the third-person effect. However, most previous third-person research examines only one communicative context, andassumes message (un)desirability a priori. In a Journal of Communication article, we challenge this a priori assumption using nine communicative contexts, and our findings support the idea that message desirability is not linearly related to the magnitude of third-person effects. We found that both stereotypes about the intended audience of the content and their perceived susceptibility to the negative consequences of the message are factors in judging the effects on self and others.

The article in Communication Research Reports examines how public perceptions of media performance and media role expectations factor in to censorship attitudes for news media at the beginning of the post-9/11 military action in Afghanistan. A project in development explores the relationship between perceptions of media credibility, media roles and NBC’S recent decision to air portions of the Virginia Tech killer’s “multimedia manifesto.”

In future research, I will elucidate other facets of audience attitudes about media and media effects and how they relate to a willingness to endorse restrictions on expression. In particular, I am drawing from social psychology’s attribution theory and from legal concepts of intent to examine how perceptions of media intent impact endorsement of restrictions on media.

Legal scholars have recognized that public commitment to protecting free expression is essential to maintaining those freedoms. My research program explores the complexity of public attitudes and seeks to understand what influences people’s commitment to freedom of speech and press.