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Research Note: The Influence of the Press in Shaping Public Opinion towards the European Union in Britain

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  • Sean Carey
  • Jonathan Burton

Abstract

Existing research finds that European citizens evaluate the EU according to the perceived costs and benefits of integration. Instead of assuming that cue‐givers provide an informational role in this process, we investigate the direct effects of positive and negative EU messages from prominent cue‐givers, including political parties and the media. Using the 2001 British Election Study, we examine the impact of the main political parties and newspapers on public attitudes towards membership of the EU and the prospect of joining the single European currency. During the 2001 British General Election campaign, the media and the main political parties had small independent effects on attitudes towards EU membership and the potential adoption of the single European currency. When voters receive the same messages from both their party and their newspaper, these effects are considerable.

Suggested Citation

  • Sean Carey & Jonathan Burton, 2004. "Research Note: The Influence of the Press in Shaping Public Opinion towards the European Union in Britain," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 52(3), pages 623-640, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:polstu:v:52:y:2004:i:3:p:623-640
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2004.00499.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Evans, Geoffrey, 1998. "Euroscepticism and Conservative Electoral Support: How an Asset Became a Liability," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 28(4), pages 573-590, October.
    2. Eichenberg, Richard C. & Dalton, Russell J., 1993. "Europeans and the European Community: the dynamics of public support for European integration," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 47(4), pages 507-534, October.
    3. Dalton, Russell J. & Beck, Paul A. & Huckfeldt, Robert, 1998. "Partisan Cues and the Media: Information Flows in the 1992 Presidential Election," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 92(1), pages 111-126, March.
    4. Bartels, Larry M., 1993. "Messages Received: The Political Impact of Media Exposure," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 87(2), pages 267-285, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michaela Maier & Silke Adam & Jürgen Maier, 2012. "The impact of identity and economic cues on citizens’ EU support: An experimental study on the effects of party communication in the run-up to the 2009 European Parliament elections," European Union Politics, , vol. 13(4), pages 580-603, December.
    2. Konstantin Vössing, 2015. "Transforming public opinion about European integration: Elite influence and its limits," European Union Politics, , vol. 16(2), pages 157-175, June.
    3. Claes H. De Vreese & Anna Kandyla, 2009. "News Framing and Public Support for a Common Foreign and Security Policy," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 453-481, June.
    4. Jürgen Maier & Berthold Rittberger, 2008. "Shifting Europe's Boundaries," European Union Politics, , vol. 9(2), pages 243-267, June.
    5. Jane Green, 2007. "When Voters and Parties Agree: Valence Issues and Party Competition," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 55(3), pages 629-655, October.
    6. Silke Adam, 2009. "Bringing the Mass Media in - The Contribution of the Mass Media for Understanding Citizens’ Attitudes towards the European Union," KFG Working Papers p0004, Free University Berlin.
    7. Staffan Kumlin, 2011. "Claiming blame and giving credit? Unintended effects of how government and opposition frame the Europeanization of welfare," European Union Politics, , vol. 12(4), pages 575-595, December.

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