Media Studies and Survey Experiments

Abstract

With the dramatic changes in the media environment in recent years, the

traditional models of mass media influence are being reconsidered. In this article,

the author considers these research trends and introduces the empirical

insights of survey experiments that examine the effects of information exposure

in the current media environment. Specifically, the author introduces the arguments

surrounding the minimal media effects theory, which were first raised in

the 2010s. Next, the author focuses on the concept of cues that function as heuristics,

and delves into the social consequences that result from changes in the

media environment by laying out the insights provided by survey experiments

related to the effects of media exposure. Finally, the author argues the importance

of explaining the insights gained through experimental research carried

out in the context of the real-world media environment by referring to the

arguments surrounding the problems of external validity and exposure-based

pretreatment.