Item
Mobile media and political participation: Defining and developing an emerging field
- Author
- Jason A. Martin
- Year
- 2014
- Publisher
- Mobile Media & Communication
- Abstract
- Mobile media have become increasingly popular and important in recent years as a means of accessing political information and participating in politics and elections worldwide. However, the emergent field of mobile-focused political participation research requires further definition and development to more clearly address why and how mobile media are producing distinct consequences for political participation. To address this problem, this article uses interdisciplinary insights and a critical review of relevant literature to identify research opportunities that stand to advance mobile political communication theory. Contributions and limitations of studies focused on ICTs and political participation are reviewed and discussed. Analysis of studies focused on the political participation outcomes of mobile media use is synthesized with theory from user-focused mobile communication literature to highlight the unique qualities that distinguish mobile media and the implications of those distinguishing features for studying political participation. Recommendations are made for research directions that would further investigate the association of mobile media’s distinctive features with online and offline forms of political participation. This analysis indicates opportunities for scholars to unpack mobile media’s unique features in ways that potentially redefine political participation, and, accordingly, further the development of research questions and theories that investigate the relationship of mobile media and political participation. It is concluded that research is needed that explains mobile media use in finer detail, accounts for shifting conceptualizations of political participation, and contributes to the development of cross-cultural comparative frameworks.