The Midwest Foundation for Media Research released a study Thursday showing the relationship between political engagement, partisan leanings and media use. UW-Madison Political Science Professor Ken Goldstein authored the study.
Researchers who developed ""Midwest Media Patterns by Partisanship and Political Engagement"" combined Scarborough Research consumer data with a political survey to analyze eight Midwestern markets, including Milwaukee.
They looked specifically at television, newspaper, Internet and radio use, and how each correlates with levels of political engagement and partisanship.
The study found the highest level of political engagement among those who were heaviest media users in contrast to media consumers in the lowest quintiles who vote in lower levels.
Self-identified Democrats prefer television in comparison to Republicans, who have higher levels of radio and Internet use, according to the study.
Meanwhile, newspaper readers are the most ideologically mixed.
Television networks that favor Republicans often have higher levels of political engagement among viewers. However, in every market, MSNBC ranked as having the highest levels of political engagement.
Networks that cater to young people and women, like MTV or Oxygen are favored by Democrats, but viewers have low levels of political engagement.
Goldstein commented on the implications these differences have on political media planning and media effects.
""Public opinion is polarized by Democrats and Republicans on many issues and we also see significant polarization in media usage patterns between partisans,"" Goldstein said.
—Samy Moskol
