Young People’s Engagement in Media

Debates on the EU

Mag. Dr. Christina Ortner

University of Salzburg

christina.ortner@sbg.ac.at

International Conference on Media Engagement

University of Lund, March19th, 2015

Introduction

• More and more political decisions are taken at the Europeanlevel which is increasingly influencing the life of Europeans.

• The European Union can be seen as a project of elites that fails to take citizens on board.take citizens on board.

• As a main way of connecting to public and political life mediaare of notable relevance in this context.

• As European citizens of the near future young people are important. Yet, political engagement is rather low in this group.

How do they encounter the EU in the media? In which ways

do they engage? Who does (not) engage for what reasons?

Different Notions of Engagement

Audience Engagement

Engagement in Political Media

Political Engagement

Engagement in Political Media

Engagement in the EU

Engagement in

EU Media

The Context of Daily Life

• Both audience engagement and political engagement are

rooted in everyday life.

• They are shaped by principles of daily action and• They are shaped by principles of daily action and

challenges of daily life.

• Young people are forced to set priorities and carefully

use their limited time and other resources.

• Patterns of action as well as resources are linked to

socio-economic conditions in different fields of life.

Empirical Data

Standardised Online-SurveySample: 274 respondents

from all over AustriaScope: key aspects and selected

context informationAim: screening, extending the number of participants

Problem-Centred Interviews

Sample: 30 selected interview partners

Scope: extended aspects and contexts

Aim: subjective meaning, in depth analysis, exploration

March April May June July August

2010

Forms of Engagement

Turning to/Avoiding the EU Dealing with EU Content

• Reading sections on the EU • Paying attention to EU• Reading sections on the EUin papers and online-platforms

• Selecting TV shows on European affairs

• Searching for information (mainly online)

• Turning away when coming across the EU in the media

• Paying attention to EUmedia content

• Making links to pre-consisting knowledge and attitudes

• Comparing it to othersources of information

• Reacting emotional to EU media content

Turning to or Avoiding the EU

• The major part of EU media contacts occur incidentally.

• Only few actively turn to this

How often do you search for information about the EU? (n=273)

• Only few actively turn to this topic in the media.

• At the same time young people seldom avoid the EU.

6%30%

15%49%

Often Sometimes Seldom Never

“I do not specifically look for whatis going on in the EU. I rather getto know what I incidentally come

across as a consumer of main-stream media.” (Manfred, 28)

Frequency of EU Media Contacts

• Own initiative is no precondition for regularly getting in touch.

How often do you come across the EUin the media? (n=268)

• But: Information seeking and frequency of media contacts correlate.

„If I read the newspaper I need not read carefully. There is always

something on the EU. It appears at least once a day.” (Alexander, 27)

58%35%

7%

Often Sometimes Seldom

Dealing with EU Content

• Most of the participants deal withEU content on a cognitive level.

• However, in many cases the intensity of their involvement is rather low.

“When I read the word EUI think ‚Oh well’. Then I look for

really important thingsgoing on.” (Timo, 28)

of their involvement is rather low.

• A smaller group mainly reacts emotional to reports on the EU.

• These emotions are negative and sometimes quite strong.

The intensity of dealing with media content on the EU

highly depends on the concrete topic and situation.

“On the radio they again reported on the costs of the EU.

At the same time we are in a crisis and should rather save

money. Of course you can easily get upset when hearing such

news.” (Carina, 22)

Who Engages in Which Way?

Turning to/ Avoiding

Media Content on EU

Mode of Dealing with Media Content on EU

Cognitive AffectiveNeither

norIntensive Moderate Intensive Moderate

Turning to

RegularlySimon,

Edith, MargitCarina

OccasionallyManfred, Sara, Manuel, Philip

Sabine, Tanja, Paul, Clemens, Anna, Bettina, Benedikt, Max

Turning to and Avoiding Monika Klara

AvoidingSandra,

Georg, Derek

Neither norBarbara, Vroni,

AlexanderCarsten, Pascal

Sophia, Timo, Jakob, Elmar

Group A: Strong Cognitive Engagement

Actively turning to this topic, intensive cognitive involvement,

frequent EU media contacts

Media use Intensive use of information media, competent selection and Media use Intensive use of information media, competent selection and handling, diverse media repertoire, focus on quality media

EU attitudes Considerable interest and knowledge, focus on the idea of a supranational community, mainly supporters (one undecided)

EU contacts Frequent discussions on the EU, intensive educational experiences on EU, at times direct contacts to EU institutions or representatives

Political engagement

Important role of politics in their lives, political activitiesbeyond voting

Education Mainly university students or academics (one primary education)

Group B: Strong Affective Engagement

Occasionally turning to or avoiding this topic, intensive affective

involvement, frequent EU media contacts

Media use Moderate use of information media, focus on boulevard media, Media use Moderate use of information media, focus on boulevard media, mistrust in media information, problems of understanding

EU attitudes Low interest and knowledge, focus on national sovereignty and EU bureaucracy, mainly opponents (one undecided)

EU contacts Occasional or no discussions about EU, moderate educational experiences on EU, no contacts to EU institutions or representatives

Political engagement

Moderate role of politics in their lives, political cynicism, rarely political activities beyond voting, some do not vote regularly

Education Primary or secondary education

Group C: Very Limited Engagement

Never turning to or avoiding this topic, very limited involvement,

partly frequent and partly rare EU media contacts

Media use Moderate or limited use of media, lack of time and willingness to Media use Moderate or limited use of media, lack of time and willingness to make effort

EU attitudes Low interest and knowledge, no distinct perception of what the EU is about, mainly supporters (one undecided)

EU contacts At times little intensive discussions about the EU, limited educational experiences, no contacts to EU institutions or representatives

Political engagement

Either low interest in politics or focus on few specific issues, activities in public life but not in traditional politics (except for voting)

Education All educational levels

Conclusions

• All in all engagement in media debates on European affairsis moderate among young adults in Austria.

• There are several reasons for not engaging like...

▫ Dissatisfaction with media coverage on European affairs

▫ Lack of time and willingness to make efforts

▫ Low overall engagement with information media

▫ Lack of engagement in the EU and politics in general

Political cynicism does not necessarily reduce engagement.

It rather leads to a more emotional, less constructive form.

Contact Information

Mag. Dr.

Christina OrtnerChristina Ortner

Lecturer at the University of Salzburg

and the Universities of Applied Science

in Salzburg and Hagenberg

christina.ortner@sbg.ac.at