Infotainment, cynicism and democracy: the effects of privatization vs personalization in the news

This cross-national study examines the effects of infotainment on cynicism about politics in Denmark, Britain and Spain. Drawing on panel surveys and media content analyses the study distinguishes between privatization and personalization elements in infotainment content and tests for their separate effects on political cynicism. The results suggest that the differential presence of infotainment elements is more consistent among countries than between media or news outlets. Exposure to privatization content has a positive effect on cynicism across the board. Exposure to personalization elements only increases cynicism among segments who are more interested in politics, and it decreases cynicism among the less interested segments. The results are discussed in the light of research on conditional media effects.