Project description DEENESFRITPL Mixed-method study to assess real impact of media Studies on the role of the media are mainly shaped by the short-term effects paradigm and they focus on the individuals as targets of the outcomes. However, the impacts of media are much more complex. They include crucial effects on policies, public entities, institutions and society. The EU-funded VARME project will reconsider the empirical levels in long-term research on uncovered effects of the news media on citizens’ beliefs about societal issues. The project will use data collection at the University of Gothenburg to work on media effects spanning a seven-year period. It will also apply an extensive longitudinal mixed-methods design and experiments. The project findings and outcomes will enrich knowledge on media impacts and contribute to existing related theories. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective The overall objective of VARME is to determine the long-term effects of the news media on citizens’ beliefs about societal problems. Theoretically and empirically, the program challenges the prevailing Short-term Media Effects Paradigm that characterizes most research on media effects. In doing so, the program uncovers a variety of important long-term media effects largely ignored in previous research. These include how beliefs about societal problems are initially formed (RQ1), how beliefs are maintained and reinforced (RQ2), as well as under what conditions they change both temporarily and more permanently (RQ3).The ambitious objective of VARME is achieved by three complementary projects. These projects are all possible thanks to an internationally unique infrastructure for data collection at the University of Gothenburg. Project 1 uncovers the long-term processes of media effects over a period of several years. Using an extensive longitudinal mixed-methods design, this study provides unique knowledge on how citizens’ beliefs about society are maintained, reinforced and potentially changed by the news media in the long run. Project 2 clarifies how citizens’ beliefs initially form in response to news coverage. By setting up a novel event-based study, this project enables a close “live” analysis of belief formation as real-world events take place and media coverage unfolds over time. Project 3 focuses on causality and mechanisms behind long-term media effects. Working together with professional journalists, this project is based on a series of realistic experiments on how citizens’ news choices and news exposure influence the maintenance, reinforcement and changes of beliefs over time.Apart from documenting the varieties of long-term effects on citizens’ beliefs about a wide range of societal problems, VARME makes significant contributions to several established theories of media effects. Fields of science social sciencesmedia and communicationsjournalism Keywords Media effects Public opinion long term Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2018-STG - ERC Starting Grant Call for proposal ERC-2018-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Host institution GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET Net EU contribution € 1 495 595,00 Address VASAPARKEN 405 30 Goeteborg Sweden See on map Region Södra Sverige Västsverige Västra Götalands län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 495 595,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET Sweden Net EU contribution € 1 495 595,00 Address VASAPARKEN 405 30 Goeteborg See on map Region Södra Sverige Västsverige Västra Götalands län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 495 595,00
