SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

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Who Do We Reach, Who Can We Reach, and Who Should We Reach

Dhavan V. ShahAssociate Professor

Programming and Outreach

• Programming and outreach — in combination — work together to create opportunities to connect

– Extend the program experience – Provide mobilizing information and activities – Encourage deliberation and civic action– Forge partnerships that tighten community connections– Educate the public, individually and collectively

• Need to understand how they work together

The Effects of Media

• Contrasting claims about the socio-political effects of television and Internet use

– Provide enriching information, dramatize social problems, highlight community value, tighten social linkages, and foster coordinated actions

– Displace time from civic activities, replace meaningful social relationships, cultivate perceptions of a “mean world”, and discourage sense of shared responsibility

“Experience is not what happens to you; it what you do with what happens to you.”

Aldous Huxley, Author

The Effects of Outreach

• Encourage reflection about media content• Foster discussion and deliberation about issues• Build understanding across social groups• Create connections among community members• Highlight the value of community resources• Emphasize obligations over rights in public life

… All of which encourage civic engagement

Research Insights

• The “Connecting” and “Disconnecting” Project

– Study of Civic and Political Participation examining Media Use, Social Networks, Outreach, and Social Attitudes

– Funded by the Ford Foundation, Benton Foundation, Digital Media Forum, Public Broadcasting Service, University of Wisconsin, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University

• Community Engagement through Public Television Project

– Study of the “Coming Together” Listening Sessions around “Two Towns of Jasper

– Funded by Wisconsin Public Television, National Center for Outreach, Corporation for Public Broadcasting - Future Fund, and University of Wisconsin

Guiding Questions

• Who is most likely to embrace and support a goal of community engagement?

– Are their other latent or potential supporters?

– How can we make groups more active and engaged?

• What are their preferences and practices?

– How do these groups connect with mass media?

– How do they connect with public broadcasting, its programming, web content, and outreach?

Methods and Analysis

• Surveyed 971 respondents across four waves– Feb. ‘99, June ‘00, Nov. ‘00, and July ‘01 – Over 70% response rate to each panel wave

• Used a combination of analytical tools– Cluster and discriminant analysis– Comparison of standardized means

High Social/Cultural Engagement

Low Social/Cultural Engagement

Low Civic/Political Engagement

High Civic/Political Engagement

Active Engaged Citizen - 9%

Community Socialites - 22%

Casual Connectors - 50%

Civic Stalwarts - 19%

Active Engaged Citizens

• Most engaged in community life– Highest in civic and political participation– Also socially and culturally active

• Baby Boomers and older• College educated• Affluent homeowners• Live in Larger Metros

Civic Stalwarts

• High civic and political engagement– Lowest in social and cultural involvement

• More women than men• Older, in their 40s or 60+• Live in less densely populated areas

Community Socialites

• Most socially and culturally active– Below average in civic and political activities

• Younger group, 20-40• Many parents with kids• Live in larger metros and suburban areas

Casual Connectors

• Least engaged in community life– Occasional social and cultural involvement– Very little civic and political participation

• More men than women• Youngest group - 20-30• More racially and ethnically diverse• Many renters

Civic Mindedness

135

112106

90

121

104 10493

112104 104

95

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Engaged Citizens Civic Stalwarts Community Socialites Casual Connectors

Current Events Knowledge Interest in Politics Personal Efficacy

Even if there are large differences in community engagement,there is considerable civic potential across all groups

Entertainment TV

76

95

132

99

64

8493

119125

93

10398

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Engaged Citizens Civic Stalwarts Community Socialites Casual Connectors

Sitcoms Reality Shows Social Dramas

Engaged prefer social dramas, Socializers watch sitcoms,Connectors favor reality TV, Stalwarts low on all three

Public Affairs TV

178

107 104

77

215

94

113

71

118

92109

92

0

50

100

150

200

250

Engaged Citizens Civic Stalwarts Community Socialites Casual Connectors

Current Affairs News Magazines Educational/Documentary

Public affairs program viewing is tied to community engagement

Internet Activities

332

104

128

47

141

116125

78

106 101 103 97106 101

118

98

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Engaged Citizens Civic Stalwarts Community Socialites Casual Connectors

Online Civic Activities Information Exchange Interpersonal Connections Technology for Education

Small differences in certain categories of Internet use suggestopportunities to reach casual connection in new ways

Public Broadcasting

113 109 11487

309

70

139

55

337

46

135

65

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Engaged Citizens Civic Stalwarts Community Socialites Casual Connectors

Program Viewing Online Services Outreach Activites

Online services and outreach activities concentrated among the engaged citizens and community socialites

“Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.”

Will Rogers, Philosopher

Understanding Outreach

• Do outreach events that involve disengaged groups have an impact the communities that public television serves?

• Do these efforts have an effect on attitudes and actions beyond viewing public television programming?

Coming Together

• Outreach effort around Two Towns of Jasper

• A special preview screening of the P.O.V. documentary followed by a facilitated discussion about race and diversity issues– Over 300 participants, with minority over-representation

• Core of diversity and justice organizations– Served as information resources, hosted event booths,

provided engagement opportunities

A Model for Evaluation

• Conducted a survey of randomly selected WPT members and participants from local partners

• This permitted comparisons between four groups

– Event Participants (Saw program followed by discussion)

– Home Viewers (Saw program at home, possibly other content)

– Outreach Users (Online or Allied content, but not the program)

– Unexposed to Two Towns (No exposure to any content)

Effects of Programming and Outreach

• Dramatic effects on civic attitudes, community perceptions and civic engagement

– Outreach puts local perspective on larger problems and provides opportunities for involvement

– Connects viewers with other members of society, including those disengaged from public television

– Directs the civic potential of viewers toward pressing social problems, serving the underserved

– Creates a context for convening community change