ABSTRACT
Political engagement and participation are potential outcomes and/or the antecedents of exposure to political information in the news media or on social media. This chapter discusses existing models of the relationship between media consumption and political involvement and highlight how political engagement and participation can function as antecedents of exposure to political information in the media and, subsequently, as effects of this exposure. Political engagement entails individual motivations, abilities, and attitudes that reflect citizens’ involvement with politics. Political engagement may both influence and be influenced by exposure to political information. In contrast to political engagement, which refers to intrinsic motivations, abilities, and attitudes, political participation refers to an outreaching and behavioural component of political involvement. Some literature on the news media’s mobilizing role has explored potential indirect effects through political engagement on political participation more explicitly, in relation to political interest, knowledge, and efficacy. The chapter defines key concepts and relationships and present the Engagement-Participation-Information-Generation model.
