Modeling Patterns of News Recognition and Recall

Abstract

This study examines the influence of television news coverage, story attributes, and audience characteristics on public recognition and recall of the news. In the summer of 1989, survey respondents were asked, within 7 days of the dates on which 21 different news stories broke, whether they recognized a particular story, and, if so, what they could remember about it. Results indicate that (a) stories receiving heavier television news coverage are better recognized and recalled; (b) respondents who are generally well informed about public affairs succeed in learning most types of news, regardless of their reported levels of media use; and (c) news stories focused on personalities and domestic news items are better recognized and better recalled than other kinds of standard political news. these findings are discussed in light of research on “personalized bias” in news reporting and its impact on political it formation-holding and public opinion.