Local media and local elections: voters' preferred information sources

Local media and local elections: voters' preferred information sources

The high turnover rate of councillors across Queensland at the
2004 local government elections has been attributed in part to
the volatility caused by greater media and public interest in
council issues. Candidates in all levels of government have
always tried to reach voters in order to win elections. Many see
the media as the most effective way to get voters' attention.
Voters, too, have used media information about candidates to
help them decide their vote. However, this study - which examines
voters' use of local media in the lead-up to a local government
election - suggests voters across all age groups are using a
variety of information sources when deciding for whom to vote.
The findings may signal a change in voters' attitudes to mainstream
media information and alternative sources of information
about candidates, challenging the news media's traditional role
as gatekeepers over what the public knows.

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