Media Use and Civic Participation in the African-American Population: Exploring Participation among Professionals and Nonprofessionals

Abstract

Empirical research has shown a positive relationship between local news media use, community integration, and political participation for the general population. This study examined whether the media serve such functions for African-American professionals and nonprofessionals. Both samples included fairly heavy media users; however, there was no significant relationship between local media use and civic participation. Church involvement, however, was a strong predictor of participation. Two major findings emerged: (1) local news media do not serve the civic information needs of African Americans, and (2) when compared with local news media, interpersonal networks more strongly influence African Americans' civic participation.