News Media Use, Perception, and Efficacy: A Multilevel Analysis of Media Participation in China

This study tries to decompose the relationship between media use and media participation intention in China by adopting an audience-oriented perspective. The changing patterns of audience involvement in media production process coincide with widespread media commercialization in China. Our model focuses on media perception and efficacy, examining them at personal and societal levels and connecting them to a host of media use variables. A total of 2,409 valid interviews from face-to-face surveys were collected in four cities during November 2006 and May 2007. Results show that, at a macro level, media commercialization and liberalization play a vital role in shaping audience’s perception of media and the likelihood of media participation. At the micro level, the use of different types of news media was found to have multiple consequences. In addition, significant regional differences were identified. Implications for understanding the media and the social and political situations in China were discussed on the basis of the findings.