Faith and News: A Quantitative Study of the Relationship Between Religiosity and TV News Exposure Faith and News: A Quantitative Study of the Relationship Between Religiosity and TV News Exposure

by Marvez, Raquel 1981-

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between religiosity and

broadcast news usage. This study examines the level of religiosity of individuals and its

correlation to broadcast news exposure. The correlation between religiosity and

perceptions of violence on broadcast news was also measured.

Two theories were applied in this study. Uses and Gratifications asserts the active

character of the audience to choose what they watch, how often, etc., and Selective

Exposure defends the ability of the individual to select media that coincides with personal

value systems. These two theories complement each other and provide support in the

evaluation of religiosity and broadcast news exposure.

A survey was posted on-line through various message boards. Twenty-five questions

were used to determine religiosity, broadcast news exposure, broadcast news and perceptions of

violence on broadcast news. In sum, all hypotheses were supported and the general idea that as

religiosity increases broadcast news exposure decreases was confirmed. Nevertheless, due to the

small effect size the study also indicates that religiosity does not explain a great percentage of the

behavior of an individual towards broadcast news exposure.

Therefore, the results of the study indicate that even though religiosity is not a good predictor of broadcast news exposure in general, religiosity affects to a small degree the choices of a more religious individual to expose himself to broadcast news. The perception of violence in broadcast news is also greater in religious than non-religious individuals.