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Compares television and the newspaper as sources of political information and discusses campaign advertising as a source of issue information; US.

Multiscreening (using a device like a smartphone while watching TV) is pervasive and may have beneficial and detrimental consequences for informed citizenship. This national survey ( N = 847) examines how multiscreening during debates and TV news during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign was related to political learning. Multiscreening was associated with higher levels of thinking about politics (elaboration) and greater confidence about knowledge (information efficacy) but lower actual knowledge. The positive relationship with efficacy yet negative relationship with knowledge raises the possibility that multiscreening contributes to overconfidence. Implications for cognitive resource theories are discussed.

This article examines the extent to which major sources of political information affect citizen learning. Recent empirical comparisons of mass media channels show, contrary to earlier research, that television news is informative for American voters, albeit in ways different from newspapers. Television news provides more information about candidates; newspapers, more about parties. Both are sources of issue information. Print media are consulted more often than television by people who are actively seeking information. Television reaches groups that tend to lack political information, such as young people, immigrants, and less interested citizens. Newspaper coverage does more to close knowledge gaps between socioeconomic strata. Newsmagazines and radio are receding as political knowledge sources, relative to television and newspapers.

How major sources of political information affect US citizen learning is examined, drawing on recent empirical comparisons of mass media channels. Contrary to earlier research, TV news is informative for voters, albeit in ways different from newspapers: TV news provides more information about candidates; newspapers, more about parties; & both are sources of issue information. Print media are consulted more often than TV by people actively seeking information; whereas TV reaches groups that tend to lack political information, eg, young people, immigrants, & less-interested citizens. Newspaper coverage does more to close knowledge gaps between socioeconomic strata. Magazines & radio are receding as political knowledge sources. Adapted from the source document.