  |
|||
|
|
|
||
|
Posted by Kate Butler Mar 28, 2007 |
According to a recent Statistics Canada survey, Canadians who get their news from multiple mediums- specifically not just television- are more engaged in civic issues. Individuals who use 2 to 4 news sources are more likely to be involved with a political party, participate in rallies or marches, and sign petitions for causes they believe in.
This means that those of us who use internet, radio, or newspapers as their main source of daily news are more likely to state a preference and get involved than those who only use television. To me, this result seems extremely logical, and points to the fact that civic engagement, and media savvy, are connected to action and knowledge, not the inactivity that television encourages.
Television is a passive medium: one sits there and watches while the commentator or announcer describes the events of the day. Internet and newspapers force readers to choose which stories they want to read, and actively search for things that interest them. Similarly, radio news is often something that people will tune in for particularly when in the car or at home, and again offers more of a challenge to listeners than simply becoming glued to one’s television.
When we understand how to find articles and stories that we are interested in, we are more likely to follow-up on this by volunteering with a political party of our choice, getting involved in an activist cause that we support, or doing something else to further express our interest and feelings about different issues and events.