ABSTRACT
Research into the role of the mass media in various areas of political life dates back to the age of print media and has become a burgeoning field in the age of electronic media and mediated politics. Political scientists interested in understanding the political impact of the mass media have been particularly keen on assessing the role of the mass media in transmitting political information and knowledge. Moreover, they have debated over the extent to which the modern media of mass communication can shape political opinions and attitudes, and increase or diminish political involvement. An important line of inquiry has been to determine if the particular pattern of media use in a given population could have any direct or indirect effect on members’ political knowledge, political opinions and attitudes, and on their modes of political action or inaction.
