Stealth Soapboxes: Political Information Efficacy, Cynicism and Uses of Celebrity Weblogs Among Readers
http://nms.sagepub.com/cgi/content/citation/10/1/67
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  peer-reviewed

Sweetser, Kaye D. and Lynda Lee Kaid
New Media and Society
2008

Abstract:

This study tests the effects of personalized and 'stealth' political discourse on weblogs (or blogs) and the repercussions on levels of political trust, information efficacy and political uses/gratifications. By surveying readers of three different blogs (N=1838), this study identified significant effects as a result of exposure to political statements on blogs. Indeed, there were differences in the levels of political cynicism depending on how political statements were communicated. Readers of non-political blogs were more confident in their level of political information and their ability to participate in politics. Finally, political uses/approaches and avoidances were examined, as were differences based on gender and age.