TY - JOUR
T1 - A mediation path to Chinese netizens’ civic engagement
T2 - The effects of news usage, civic motivations, online expression and discussion
AU - Zhong, Zhi Jin
AU - Zhang, Xinzhi
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China (15BWX063), ?Three Big Constructions? project of Sun Yat-sen University (99123-18823306) and the Big Data and Communication Social Science Research Base in Guangzhou city.
PY - 2017/5
Y1 - 2017/5
N2 - This study refreshes the communication mediation model by integrating impacts of individual psychological traits (civic motivations and political efficacy) with the relationships between Chinese netizens’ media news uses, civic expression/discussion and civic engagement in the model. The results of an online survey (N=490) indicated that new media and conventional media have indirect effects on civic engagement through different mediators. Specifically, reading news from the newspapers has a negative impact on motivations driven by emotion, but directly spurs political efficacy, civic discussion and engagement. By contrast, watching TV news encourages civic discussion, while browsing news online increases the likelihood of participatory behaviours, driven by emotions of anger or sadness. Pressure from social networks is positively related to civic engagement. Motivations of civic duties, emotion and political efficacy are positively related to online civic expression and discussion with social networks about public affairs, both of which are strongly associated with participatory behaviours.
AB - This study refreshes the communication mediation model by integrating impacts of individual psychological traits (civic motivations and political efficacy) with the relationships between Chinese netizens’ media news uses, civic expression/discussion and civic engagement in the model. The results of an online survey (N=490) indicated that new media and conventional media have indirect effects on civic engagement through different mediators. Specifically, reading news from the newspapers has a negative impact on motivations driven by emotion, but directly spurs political efficacy, civic discussion and engagement. By contrast, watching TV news encourages civic discussion, while browsing news online increases the likelihood of participatory behaviours, driven by emotions of anger or sadness. Pressure from social networks is positively related to civic engagement. Motivations of civic duties, emotion and political efficacy are positively related to online civic expression and discussion with social networks about public affairs, both of which are strongly associated with participatory behaviours.
UR - https://muse.jhu.edu/article/661218
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020409624&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85020409624
SN - 0219-7472
VL - 15
SP - 22
EP - 43
JO - China: An International Journal
JF - China: An International Journal
IS - 2
ER -