Participatory effects of political satire revisited in the age of digital media : the role of hard news, political expression and social media

Abstract

This study examines the participatory effects of political satire, specifically late-night talk shows, in the age of digital media. Based on the O-S-R-O-R (background Orientation-Stimulus-Reasoning-outcome Orientation-Response) model of communication effects, this study theorizes and tests structural relationships in which audience factors (e.g., partisanship, hard news use) guide political satire viewing, and information processing activities (e.g., political talk, social media expression) and cognitive outcomes (e.g., political knowledge, political efficacy) channel the impact of the audience factor-driven political satire viewing on participation. More importantly, this study examines, for the first time, the role of social media in both political satire viewing and political expression, and its influence on participation. Data from a nationally representative survey (N=573) suggest that hard news use is an essential prerequisite for the participatory effects of political satire viewing. In addition, partisanship is a key predictor of political satire viewing, and media channel matters, such that those who watch late-night talk shows on television are less likely to participate in politics, while those who watch late-night talk shows in the social media environment are more likely to participate in politics through political expression on social media. These findings highlight the importance of understanding who receives what messages from where and how in the contemporary media environment to better explain the effects of media.