A presentation by Michal Alon-Tirosh in My Media Playground seminar 14th February 2013 in Tampere, Finland

1. INSTILLING NEWS CONSUMPTION
AT HOME
Michal Alon-Tirosh
The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel
michalt@yvc.ac.il

2. 2
Political Socialization and Civic Engagement
Political socialization – “a developmental process by
which children and adolescents acquire cognitions,
attitudes, and behaviors relating to their political
environment” (Atkin & Gantz, 1978, p. 184).
These two processes are vital to maintaining democratic life.
• They can determine whether an individual is to become a well-guided
citizen, taking interest in political and civic issues and demonstrating
political and social involvement, or remain indifferent and aloof,
unwilling to make a difference in his/her environment.
Political socialization agents:
• The media – the news
• Parents

3. 3
Children and the news – A mixed blessing
• The news genre could significantly contribute to the political
socialization of children and to their social involvement.
• Correlations were found between news consumption, particularly
TV news, and children’s command of politics, state affairs and
civic issues, as well as their views in these areas.
• children who watch more news demonstrate greater political
knowledge and deeper political understanding and moreover, show
greater curiosity in news contents.
It is important that children will consume news.
But,
children’s consumption of news also has disadvantages:
• News may have adverse effects on children
(e.g. news watching stirs fear, anxiety and restlessness among young
viewers).
• Children are faced with difficulties during and after news
watching
• Young viewers express aversion to news

4. 4
Parents as socialization agents
Parents are perceived as significant political socialization agents,
inspiring their offspring’s political socialization and social
engagement.
The parents’ influence can be manifested in different ways, from
inspiring the political stances adopted by their children to conducts
such as political involvement and willingness to partake in social
events and community events.
Do parents also influence their children's political
socialization by influencing their children's news exposure
and their attitudes to this genre?
Parents have influence on the function of media as socialization
agent in the lives of their children. They also mediate the media
to the child.
We can assume that parents have a contribution in shaping
the role of the news genre in the lives of their children.

5. 5
Research questions- General
• What are parents’ attitudes to their
children’s news consumption?
• What are children’s attitudes to the news?
• Do parents’ views regarding news
consumption correspond to their children’s
views regarding this genre?

6. 6
Research questions
• What are the parents’ views regarding news consumption?
• What are parents’ attitudes to their children’s news
consumption?
• Do parents believe their children should consume news?
• Do parents’ views regarding news consumption correspond
to their stances on news consumption by their children?
• What are children’s attitudes to the news?
• Do parents’ views regarding news consumption correspond
to their children’s stances on news consumption?
• Do parents’ stances on news consumption by their children
correspond to their children’s views regarding news
consumption?

7. 7
Method
Participants:
61 Israeli parents of children aged 8-13 and their children
were asked to express their views on news consumption
and its frequency.
Procedure:
The parents and the children were interviewed (structured
questionnaire):
• Their news consumption frequency
• The importance they attributed to news consumption
• The importance parents attributed to news consumption by their
children.

8. 8
Results- parents
How important is news consumption for you?
(percentage)
3,3
10 8,2 Not at all
Somewhat important
26,2 Important
Very important
39,3
Highly important
• Positive correlation between the importance
attributed by parents to news consumption and
their own news consumption frequency.

9. 9
Results- parents
How important is news consumption by your child? (percent)
40 31,1
30 21,3 23
20 16,4
8,2
10
0
Not at all Somewhat important Important Very important Highly important
• Positive correlation between the importance
attributed by parents to news consumption
and the importance attributed to news
consumption by their child.

10. 10
Results- children
How important is news consumption for you?
(percentage)
11,5 9,8
Not at all
18 Somewhat important
21,3
Important
Very important
Highly important
39,3
• Positive correlation between the importance
attributed by children to news consumption and
their own news consumption frequency.

11. 11
Results- correlations
• Positive correlation between the importance
attributed by the parent to news consumption and
the importance attributed by the child to news
consumption.
• Positive correlation between the importance
attributed by the parent to news consumption by
his/her child and the importance attributed by the
child to news consumption.

12. 12
Conclusions
• Most parents attribute importance to news
consumption in general and accordingly, to news
consumption by their own children.
• Most children attribute importance to news
consumption.
• A positive correlation between parents’ views
regarding the news and their children’s views
regarding this genre.

13. 13
Implications
• We can assume that parents have a contribution
in shaping the role of the news genre in the lives
of their children.
• It is important to instill news consumption at
homes, as a possible factor in children’s political
socialization processes.
Thank you 