Cultivation in a new media environment

Originally cultivation theory was formulated to understand how public concern about crime was affected by the narratives and pictures that dominated television. The basic idea was that an over representation of violent crimes in television entertainment and news creates a biased picture of the risk of being affected by crime, which in turn leads to increased anxiety among people.

Today’s media environment is very different from the time when cultivation theory way first formulated. Not least has the number of media available grown significantly. Today people can select among a variety of different media, types of content and outlets. Apart from the traditional media, social media also play an increasingly important role in people’s everyday life.

This project analyses how citizens’ selective media usage influence public concern, anxiety and perceptions concerning four issues: antibiotic resistance, crime, climate change and integration. The studies include a longitudinal panel survey and media content data.