Abstract
The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine presents a unique opportunity to study the effects of widely disseminated violent images of war on viewers’ perceptions of potential global and personal threats. Cultivation theory is a macro level systems approach developed by Gerbner (1967) to examine the broad implications of media exposure (Potter, 2014). The current literature on cultivation theory reflects a shift from Gerbner’s original research to a micro-level approach that Potter (2014) called boundary crossing. In this transitional research the locus of meaning shifts from mass media messages to the receivers’ perceptions of those messages. This study adds to that growing body of literature by examining people’s news consumption of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and their perceptions of threat. This quantitative study-in-progress shows preliminary results from 130 survey respondents and provides support for cultivation theory and this boundary crossing shift. Time spent consuming invasion news (r = .31, p = .00) and frequency of accessing invasion news (r = .26, p = .01) were significantly and positively related to concern about the invasion. Respondents that spent more time consuming invasion news reported being more concerned about Russia invading other countries (r = .33, p = .00), including EU or NATO member countries (r = .29, p = .01), and showed more concern that the invasion would lead to the use of nuclear weapons (r = .20, p = .04). The final data set also includes military and political affiliation variables. The survey was open throughout March 2022.
Presenters
Hailey Gillen HokeAssociate Professor, Communication, Weber State University, Utah, United States Leslie Howerton
Assistant Professor, Communication, Weber State University, Utah, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2022 Special Focus—Democratic Disorder: Disinformation, the Media and Crisis in a Time of Change
KEYWORDS
Cultivation Theory, War, Boundary Crossing, Ukraine, Russia, Media Effects, Conflict
