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II. Media
Gratifications
Studies have shown that citizens are constantly seeking information, processing and
changing their voting decisions during the entire campaign period (Blumler, 1974;
Drew & Weaver, 1998). Political interest also increases during election periods with
media setting the agenda, and citizens expressing their levels of satisfaction on media
coverage, which seems to exert some degrees of influence on the voting behavior
(Kuo, Holaday & Peck, 1993; Boyle, 2001).
Given the interest displayed by respondents towards the elections and significant
media exposure to election news and other programs, we investigated the electorate’s
levels of satisfaction with election coverage. About two thirds (62.8 per cent) of the
respondents were satisfied with the coverage on television while less than half (47.4
per cent) were satisfied with the coverage in newspapers. Radio and Internet were not
sought out as major sources, but members who accessed them found the election
coverage to be satisfactory. (Appendix 2, Fig-5)
Fairness implies balance and objectivity in reporting as well as credibility attached to
the source of information. Respondents found the election information on television
(30.6 per cent) to be fairer/more fair than newspapers (23.1 per cent). However, a
significant 13 per cent found the coverage to be not very fair or not at all fair in both
newspapers and television. This percentage was lower for radio and Internet.
More than half of the respondents (54.7 per cent) who felt that the newspaper reports
gave inadequate (not enough) information on the elections felt that the reports were
not very fair or not at all fair in covering the elections. A similar trend was noted for
TV coverage by 61.4 per cent of the respondents. Radio and Internet responses were
insignificant. (Appendix 2, Fig-6)
Convention