Kevin Arceneaux And Martin Johnson: Article Analysis

In Changing Minds or Changing Channels, authors Kevin Arceneaux and Martin Johnson dive into the much-researched topic of “media effects.” The book begins with an explanation of the rise in number of television channels and the shift towards partisan news outlets. Historically, media effects research veers from the “hypodermic needle” model in which information from the media travels like an infection to the “minimal effects” conclusion and back to “contingent effects” where the framing and priming affect the audiences’ views (17-20). The authors argue that the audience’s agency leads to a dilution of partisan media effects since many individuals opt out of partisan news programming, based on entertainment and partisan motivations (10, 52). Expanding on past research of standard force experimental design, Arceneaux and Johnson analyze the effect of choice on media effects …show more content…
The majority of studies these days are found on college campuses in introductory psychology, sociology, or political science classes. In some of Arceneaux and Johnson’s experiments, they reached out to the surrounding community in Riverside, California—a college town where some college students were also recruited for their experiments—as well as an online survey including adults across the country. While it is common practice to use college students in social science research, certain subjects may benefit from having a more diverse sample. Since Arceneaux and Johnson’s study involves political attitudes and selection of television programming, which probably differs vastly between college students who tend to skew liberal and working middle-aged adults. Older adults may be more or less inclined to watch the news, either mainstream or partisan than college students. Reaching beyond the walls of a college campus can lead to a more representative sample that could potentially lead to a more generalizable