The Contribution of Local Media to Community Involvement

Abstract

Do local media contribute to individuals' involvement in a community? The “community integration hypothesis” has long held they do, but a recent test based on a stricter measurement criterion shows the extent of contribution may have been overestimated. Results also suggest some media contribute more than others, and the relative contribution of each medium depends upon the individual's stage of settling into the community. The study is based on a probability telephone survey of 432 respondents.