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Culture,Socialization,andPolicy
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pointedouranalysisinadirectionwehadnotmuchconsidered,namely,thespecific
contentdiferencesbetweenCBSNews,influentialbroadcast,andPenn,sspeechthat
failedtoinfluence.
IfPenn,smessagewasintendedtopersuadeconservativeopponentsofgaymarriage
tochangetheirposition(andgiventhecontextandcontentofthespeech,thatintention
isanythingbutobvious),hewouldhavebeenwell-advisedtopresentthematerialin
awaythatdidnotcauseconservativestoturnofhisspeech.Intermsofwhatprevious
researchhasshown,Pennpossessesmanyofthecharacteristicsthatmakeacelebrity
endorsementsuccessful.Heisattractive,andhavingbeenanactivistcelebrityfor
sometime,maypossesssomecredibility.Moreover,havingplayedapath-breakinggay
politician,PennmightbelinkedinthemindsofviewerswiththecourageousHarvey
Milk.Ontheotherhand,giventhatPennandhiswifeof13years,RobinWrightPenn,
separatedduringthetimerespondentswereparticipatinginoursurvey,Penn,scred-
ibilityonquestionsrelatedtomarriagemighthavebeendamaged.
Teimportanceofcredibilityisdemonstratedifwedividetherespondentsbetween
thosewhoreportthemselvesasatleastsomewhatconservative(5,6,and7onthelef
torightscale)andthosewhodefinethemselvesaseithermoderateorliberal.Among
conservatives,havingseenthePennvideostillhasnoimpactontheirbeliefsaboutgay
marriage.Howeveramongmoderatesandliberals,thecoefcientforhavingseenthe
Pennvideoispositive,andsignificantatthe.10(two-tailed)level.Tisndingsug-
gestsliberalsandmoderatesmayndtheliberalPennamorecredible,andtherefore
influential,source.
Implicationsforeducators
Asalwayswithresearchresultsonhowyoungpeopleareinfluencedbyboththeenter-
tainmentaswellasthenewsmedia,itisimportanttodiscusshowteacherscanusethis
information.First,thisresearchreafrmsthatyoungpeopleliveinamediasaturated
environment.But,whileitalsoreafrmsthatthepoliticalcontentofthenewsand
entertainmentmediamayinfluencehowyoungpeoplethink,thereiscertainlyno
“hypodermic”efect.Youngpeopledonotexperiencethemediaasun-socializedclean
slates,butinsteadbringtotheirexperienceswiththemediatheirownpredispositions.
Forexample,theytuneoutwhattheydon,tlike.Controversialtopics,suchasgaymar-
riage,mayrequireaspecialapproach,notnecessarilytochangestudents,beliefs,but
togetthemeventothinkabouttheirbeliefs.
Becausethemixtureofpopularcultureandpoliticscontinues,andevidencesuggests
itmaybegrowingincountriesoutsidetheU.S.(Jackson2009,forthcoming),Ibelieveit
isnecessaryforthosewhoteacholderstudentstobringtheentertainmentmediainto
theirclassrooms.Medialiteracyhasbeenagreatconcerneversinceelectronicmedia,s
presenceinyoungpeople,slivesbegantoexplodeinthe1970s.Oneorganizationthat
promotesmedialiteracyistheNationalAssociationforMediaLiteracyEducation
(NAMLE).Teypresentsixreasonable“coreprinciples”thatmedialiteracyeducation
oughttopromote: