20-21 de outubro de 2011: Brites, M. J., Ponte, C. & Menezes, I. Youth conceptions on elections and mediated democracy: What patterns reveals timeline? ECREA PolCom Section Conference, Madrid

1. YOUTH CONCEPTIONS ON ELECTIONS AND
MEDIATED DEMOCRACY:
WHAT PATTERNS REVEALS TIMELINE?
Maria José Brites, CIMJ, FCT e ULP (britesmariajose@gmail.com)
Cristina Ponte, FCSH-UNL (cristina.ponte@fcsh.unl.pt)
Isabel Menezes, FPCEUP (imenezes@fpce.up.pt)
ECREA PolCom Section Conference | Madrid |
October 20th and 21st 2011

2. DEMOCRACY: THE IMPORTANCE OF A “WE”
AND DIFFERENT SIGNIFICATIONS
 Citizenship as a “many-faceted richness” concept
(Gurevitch and Blumler, 2004)
 Importance of the sense of “we” that “emerges to
form discursive publics and, beyond that, other
forms of political participation” (Dahlgren, 2009:
101).
 Civic Cultures:
 Complex, multiforms, different members and forms of
participation and evolvement with political activities
(Dahlgren, 2000).

3. DAILY RELATIONSHIPS
 During political campaigns (Magalhães, 2008: 480):
 Daily life discussions
 Daily relationships
 Informal discussions
Huge significance as a means of temporary political information

4. METHODOLOGICAL GUIDELINES
o Interviews with young citizens:
a) 2010 35 semistructured interviews (32=15-18;
1=14; 2=21); M=19; F=16.
b) 2011 30 semistructured interviews (27=15-18;
1=14; 2=21); M=15; F=15.
o When?
a) Several months after the longest period of elections in
Portugal (European, in June; Parliamentary, in September;
and Local, in October, 2009).
b) January and February 2011, after January Presidential
elections.
PhD research on youth, participation and journalism in Portugal
supported by the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology
– FCT (SFRH/BD/47530/2008)

5. RESEARCH QUESTIONS?
 What means did they use to get information about
elections? What do they think about the way journalists
made the elections coverage?
 With whom did they speak about it?
 What do they consider to be the role of journalism
regarding the possibility to connect them with
democracy?
 Concerning these questions, what patterns can we find in
these different moments in this mediated democracy in the
context of Peter Dahlgren multidimensional model of Civic
Cultures?

6. NEWS CONSUMPTION AND ROLE OF JOURNALISM
2010
 “I saw the parties websites, to
get informed of the proposals,
specially about Education.”
(Boy, 18, Youth Political Party)
 “On television we saw politicians
arguing with each other.” (Boy,
18, Youth Political Party)
 “Journalism should have a
better role in political education
of the population.” (boy, 18,
Youth Political Party)
 “I got news trough my family...
They explained what was and
what wasn’t important.” (girl,
14, low income area)
2011
 “Conversations with parents.”
(girl, 17, School newspapers)
 “I followed websites of the
candidates to know proposals
and activities.” (Boy, 18, Youth
Political Party)
 “If I had not been aware of party
programs, I would have the
feeling that they only argue!
Campaign director responding to
the campaign director!!!!” (boy,
16, Youth Parliament Program)
 “There are many concerns with
things that are not important.
Information should focus on the
essential... less intent to
manipulate facts.” (Boy, 18,
Youth Political Party)
 “News was sensationalist and
focused in private lives” (Boy, 18,
Youth Political Party)

7. NEWS CONSUMPTION AND ROLE OF JOURNALISM
2010
 “Television, it’s image” (girl,
16, Youth Parliament
Program)
 How did you get informed in
2009 elections?
 “Through television, it’s
more complete.”
 Well, but you’ve said before
that you prefer to use
internet to get news…
 “Well, television it’s
different. I can watch people
talking. I could also go to
YouTube, but I could only
watch it some days later”
(girl, 16, Youth Parliament
Program)
2011
 “... politicians took
advantage to draw attention!
They really like to draw
attention.” (girl, 17, School
newspapers)
 “I think it was the same as
every year, it’s always the
same. Negative!” (boy, 21,
Youth Parliament Program)
 “In this election I watched
mostly television, someone
told me about a politician
from Madeira... It was lots of
fun”. (boy, 21, Youth
Parliament Program)

8. TALK WITH…
2010
 “With my father because my father has an
opinion about politics.” (Girl, 17, School
newspapers)
 “With my parents, my friends and my
colleagues. Classmates... are always at the
same place almost any sort of political
issue is discussed.” (Girl, 16, Youth
Parliament Program)
 “I tried to talk with as many different people
as possible. With people in the party, its my
normal channel of politics; adults, my
father, friends of my parents, with my
father's lawyer. And I also discussed
politics with people who don’t have any
political interests, on the bus, for instance
[laughs]!” (Boy, 18, Youth Political party)
 “I don’t care. Really. I'm not old enough to
vote, perhaps when I turn 18...” (Boy, 17,
Writter)
2011
 “I talked with Carlos [leader of the class],
he is Mister Prime Minister! Also with my
best friend and with my parents. With her…
when we start talking about politics, we
never stop. With my parents… while we are
watching news and someone makes some
comment.” (girl, 16, Youth Parliament
Program)
 “Well, I can say my mother is like me
regarding politics, she doesn't understand a
lot of it… So I talked with my father.”(Girl,
17, School Newspaper)
 “I talked to my father [...].It was obvious
that we shared a concern: the country
needed of stability in a time of crisis.“ (boy
17, program)
 “With my parents, only vaguely.” (boy, 17,
Low income area)

9. DEMOCRATIC ROLE OF JOURNALISM
2010
 “Television, is the most well-known
media, not everyone listen to radio,
or read newspapers, not everyone
has access to the internet” (girl, 17,
School newspaper)
 “We depend on information from
different channels: television,
internet, people, family. But we
trust in journalism!” (girl, 15, Youth
Political Party)
 “Well... political parties say one
thing... and do another one. And
journalism has its contribute on
that!” (Boy, 16, Youth Parliament
Program)
 “A journalist has the role to explain,
to educate” (Boy, 17, Youth
Parliament Program)
2011
 “They tell us what happens in
Parliament!” (girl, 16, Youth
Parliament Program)
 “Without media, Portugal
wouldn't be able to vote.” (girl,
16, assembly low income area)
 “People, at home, turn on TV, its
good for discussion!” (girl, 17,
school newspaper)
 “The increasing of taxes, for
exemple, we get informed by
television!” (boy, 15, assembly
low income area)
 “50% of abstention…”(girl, 16,
Youth Parliament Program)
 “Journalists should be
impartial!” (boy, 17, youth
political party)

10. APPROACH TO DAHLGREN MULTIDIMENSIONAL MODEL
OF CIVIC CULTURES?
 If we consider...
 Model of political participation during campaigns, we
find indications of precedent power, knowledge and
identities of a “we”.
 Today's democratic model, it doesn't connect so well to
citizens uninterested in politics.
 Trust, we can think on it as a minimum.

11. FINAL THOUGHTS
 Consistence of actions and thoughts in both periods.
 Convergence: digital and media included; reinforcement of
participation; talk.
 TV:
 Decreasing in second phase among girls (reinforcement of the
representation of television as a memory (?) and increasing of internet
consumption).
 Increasing among boys – from low income areas and centred on criticism.
 Talk: inclusion
 Include through TV and Families
 Youth understanding of engagement with election periods can have
more importance that we usually think, but news coverage could be
more connected to citizens wills.

12. REFERENCES
 Couldry, Nick, Livingstone, Sonia, et al. (2007). Media
Consumption and Public Engagement: Beyond the
Presumption of Attention. London, Palgrave Macmillan.
 Dahlgren, Peter (2009). Media and Political Engagement:
Citizens, Communication, and Democracy. Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press.
 Dahlgren, Peter (2000). "The Internet and the Democratization
of Civic Culture." Political Communication 17:4: 335-340.
 Gurevitch, Michael and Blumler, Jay G. (2004). State of the Art
of Comparative Political Communication Research: Poised for
Maturity? Comparing Political Communication: Theories,
Cases, and Challenges. Esser, Frank and Pfetsch, Barbara.
Cambridge, New York, Cambridge University Press.
 Magalhães, Pedro (2008). "Redes sociais e participação
eleitoral em Portugal." Análise Social XLIII (3): 473-504.

13. Thank you!
Maria José Brites, CIMJ, FCT e ULP (britesmariajose@gmail.com)
Cristina Ponte, FCSH-UNL (cristina.ponte@fcsh.unl.pt)
Isabel Menezes, FPCEUP (imenezes@fpce.up.pt)