This impressive book introduces a new model for studying media use and political participation. The authors introduce an original research design that combines generational analysis of media preferences with a compelling framework for mapping a broad spectrum of political participation. The resulting analyses shows how diferent generations of citizens are defned by their media habits, and how those communication preferences ofer difer- ent pathways into politics. Lance Bennett Professor of Political Science and Ruddick C. Lawrence Professor of Communication, Emeritus University of Washington, Seattle, USA Rich in data and full of big ideas, Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement tells the story of remarkable diferences in patterns of media use and political engagement across fve generations. The authors paint a largely hopeful portrait of the continued importance of news use in democracy, while ofering warnings to us all of the potential dangers posed by our increasingly fragmented, personalized media environment. The book is a must for anyone who cares about safeguarding the political voice of emerging generations. Kjerstin Thorson Associate Professor, Michigan State University With the changing media landscape creating new patterns of information consumption and opportunities for a great number of actors to express themselves and reach others in ways that were previously impossible, understanding the efects of exposure to political information on political participation is critical for assessing the health of our democracy. Theo- retically innovative and conceptually rich, Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement, brings together three diferent types of data collection to explore the interplay between information consumption, participation and engagement by the young and the elderly. Providing new insights about how a variety of types of exposure experienced by fve gen- erations afect diferent types of input to the political system, Andersen and colleagues’ book adds important new empirical evidence for understand- ing participation and active citizenship in a changing political information environment. Yannis Theocharis Professor of Media and Communication University of Bremen Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement This book investigates news use patterns among fve diferent generations in a time where digital media create a multi-choice media environment. The book introduces the EPIG model (Engagement-Participation- Information-Generation) to study how diferent generational cohorts’ exposure to political information is related to their political engagement and participation. The authors build on a multi-method framework to determine direct and indirect media efects across generations. The unique dataset allows for comparison of efects between legacy and social media use and helps to disentangle the infuence on citizens’ political involvement in nonelection as well as during political campaign times. Bringing the newly of-age Generation Z into the picture, the book presents an in-depth understanding of how a changing media environment presents diferent challenges and opportunities for political involvement of this, as well as older generations. Bringing the conversation around political engagement and the media up to date for the new generation, this book will be of key importance to scholars and students in the areas of media studies, communication studies, technology, political science, and political communication. Kim Andersen is Assistant Professor in the Centre for Journalism at the University of Southern Denmark. Jakob Ohme is Postdoctoral Researcher at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the University of Amsterdam. Camilla Bjarne is Postdoctoral Researcher in the Centre for Journalism at the University of Southern Denmark. Mats Joe Bordacconi is Analyst at The National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark. Erik Albæk is Professor in the Centre for Journalism at the University of Southern Denmark. Claes de Vreese is Professor and Chair of Political Communication at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the University of Amsterdam. Routledge Studies in Media, Communication, and Politics Digitizing Democracy Edited by Aljosha Karim Schapals, Axel Bruns, and Brian McNair Communicating Populism Comparing Actor Perceptions, Media Coverage, and Efects on Citizens in Europe Edited by Carsten Reinemann, James Stanyer, Toril Aalberg, Frank Esser, and Claes H. de Vreese Human Rights, Iranian Migrants, and State Media From Media Portrayal to Civil Reality Shabnam Moinipour Threat Communication and the US Order after 9/11 Medial Refections Edited by Vanessa Ossa, David Scheu and Lukas R.A. Wilde Rhetoric, Fantasy, and the War on Terror Vaheed Ramazani Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement From Baby Boomers to Generation Z Kim Andersen, Jakob Ohme, Camilla Bjarne, Mats Joe Bordacconi, Erik Albæk, and Claes de Vreese Generational Gaps in Political Media Use and Civic Engagement From Baby Boomers to Generation Z Kim Andersen, Jakob Ohme, Camilla Bjarne, Mats Joe Bordacconi, Erik Albæk, and Claes de Vreese First published 2021 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2021 Kim Andersen, Jakob Ohme, Camilla Bjarne, Mats Joe Bordacconi, Erik Albæk, and Claes de Vreese The right of Kim Andersen, Jakob Ohme, Camilla Bjarne, Mats Joe Bordacconi, Erik Albæk, and Claes de Vreese to be identifed as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis. com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution- Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifcation and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Andersen, Kim (Professor of journalism), author. Title: Generational gaps in political media use and civic engagement : from baby boomers to Generation Z / Kim Andersen [and fve others]. Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2021. | Series: Routledge studies in media, communication, and politics | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifers: LCCN 2020029579 (print) | LCCN 2020029580 (ebook) | ISBN 9780367629328 (hardback) | ISBN 9781003111498 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Communication in politics. | Political participation. | Confict of generations—Political aspects. | Mass media and older people—Political aspects. | Mass media and youth—Political aspects. | Older people—Political activity. | Youth—Political activity. Classifcation: LCC JA85 .A64 2021 (print) | LCC JA85 (ebook) | DDC 302.23/10840973—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020029579 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020029580 ISBN: 978-0-367-62932-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-11149-8 (ebk) Typeset in Sabon by Apex CoVantage, LLC Contents List of fgures viii List of tables xi 1 Times are changing 1 2 The EPIG model—political information exposure and political involvement in a generational perspective 11 3 A multi-methods research design 28 4 Being exposed to political information in the media 43 5 Getting interested in, learning about, and feeling capable of participating in politics 61 6 Participation targeting the political system 72 7 Participation targeting the local community 81 8 Being politically motivated 90 9 Social media, political engagement, and participation 99 10 Election times: special times? 119 11 Are the kids alright? 129 Appendix 144 References 185 Index 199 Figures 1.1 News media use across generations 8 1.2 Political participation across generations 9 2.1 Antecedents of exposure to political information in the media 19 2.2 Efects of exposure to political information in the media 21 2.3 The relevance of cohort and life-cycle efects for explaining levels of—and relationships between—exposure to political information in the media and political involvement 26 2.4 The Engagement-Participation-Information-Generation (EPIG) model 27 3.1 Sample overview for online and mobile survey waves 31 3.2 Amount of political information across news outlets over time 36 4.1 Political information in the news media over time 45 4.2 Average political news exposure over time across generations 46 4.3 Average political social media exposure over time across generations 47 4.4 Marginal efects of political interest on exposure to political information in the news media and on social media across generations 50 4.5 Marginal efects of political knowledge on exposure to political information in the news media and on social media across generations 52 4.6 Marginal efects of political efcacy on exposure to political information in the news media and on social media across generations 53 4.7 Marginal efects of political participation targeted at the political system (PP II) on exposure to political information in the news media and on social media across generations 55 4.8 Marginal efects of political participation targeted at the local community (PP III) on exposure to political information