The mediated transition: Mass media and political socialization in Central and Eastern Europe

This study examines the role of mass media in the process of how individuals in countries transitioning to democracy orient themselves to the new political, economic, and social realities. I use data from the mid-1990's in Central and Eastern Europe to inform us on the following questions: How do citizens of democratizing countries use media? Do individuals' patterns of information-seeking and/or distraction-seeking affect their political attitudes and economic evaluations? Have international media contributed to democratization? Finally, I posit a multi-level process that places the individual-level findings within in the context of countries' media institutional reform process. I find that mass media affect individuals independently; and in conjunction with their socio-economic and socio-political predispositions, advantaging some groups and disadvantaging others in the socialization process. Secondly, the observed individuals-level effects are related to the degree of media institutional reform in their country. As such, these findings make a strong case for including mass media in our understanding of the process of political socialization in countries transitioning to democracy and that mass media in democratizing countries play a role unlike their western counterparts.