Nojin Kwak | University of Michigan (original) (raw)
Papers by Nojin Kwak
Telematics and Informatics, May 1, 2016
New Media & Society, Aug 5, 2011
This study tests theoretical propositions that intensive mobile communication in small networks o... more This study tests theoretical propositions that intensive mobile communication in small networks of like-minded strong ties hinders open dialogue with others. Using multi-wave panel data from a representative sample of adults in the US, the study found that reported levels of open dialogue decreased slightly with mobile-mediated political discussion in small and like-minded strong-tie networks. Interestingly, a more pronounced positive effect was found for mobile-mediated discussion in larger networks of like-minded close ties. In this case, open dialogue was facilitated by mobile-mediated discussion, revealing potential for mobile communication among close personal ties to expand spheres of public discourse and deliberation. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are offered in the discussion.
Communication Research, Aug 1, 1999
The findings of this study support the significance of motivational variables and media use in mo... more The findings of this study support the significance of motivational variables and media use in modifying the relationship between education and knowledge acquisition. People's behavioral involvement in the 1992 presidential campaign influenced the knowledge gap between education groups such that the gap was significantly smaller among those with a higher level of involvement. Also, respondents' television news viewing during the campaign significantly reduced the knowledge gap between education groups; thus, the more frequently people watched news stories on television, the smaller the impact of education on knowledge acquisition. The results also showed that there was a significant three-way interaction among education, campaign interest, and newspaper news attention, which indicates that the contribution of newspaper news attention to the knowledge gap between education groups differed depending on respondents' campaign interests.
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Oct 2, 2017
The pursuit of media diversity as a policy goal finds its foundation in First Amendment values wh... more The pursuit of media diversity as a policy goal finds its foundation in First Amendment values which assume that the public welfare requires broad dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources. Using 5 waves of panel data collected during the 2008 presidential campaign in the U.S., this article empirically examines the assumption that seeking diverse and antagonistic viewpoints reflects good citizenship. The results suggest that heavy consumption of liberal and conservative viewpoints together leads to higher levels of political knowledge, but suppresses political participation. The role of news media use in democratic citizenship might depend on quantity as well as on diversity.
Telematics and Informatics, May 1, 2016
We examined the role of mobile communication in cross-national contexts.Two independent surveys o... more We examined the role of mobile communication in cross-national contexts.Two independent surveys of adults in the US and in South Korea were used.Informational mobile use was linked to greater cross-cutting discussion.Relational use was linked to greater cross-cutting discussion in South Korea only.Informational and relational mobile uses jointly predicted enhanced deliberation. This study aims to examine how distinct uses of mobile telephony are associated with one of the key elements in deliberative democracy from a cross-national and cross-cultural perspective. Specifically, we investigate the process in which the dynamic interplay between mobile phone uses for social relations and information is linked to an individual's engagement in open dialogue with non-likeminded people (i.e., cross-cutting discussion). In addition, we assess the extent to which cultures shape the implications of mobile communication for deliberative democracy while drawing on two independent surveys of adults in the US and South Korea. In brief, we show that the proper recipe of mobile phone use is linked to an enhanced deliberative democracy with a noteworthy qualification that the role of mobile communication may depend on unique cultural characteristics.
68th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association : Voices (ICA18), May 24, 2018
Journal of Digital Convergence, 2019
By a comparative study of the philosophical backgrounds of universal service in Korea and the US,... more By a comparative study of the philosophical backgrounds of universal service in Korea and the US, this research finds that Korea has paid little attention to the relations between universal service and basic human rights even though it has rapidly and successfully implemented universal service of telephone and the internet services in the past. Based on this key finding, it reaches a conclusion that Korea should adopt a new approach in implementing universal service in the future, considering the goals and contributions to the improvement of the basic human rights of universal service because economic goals have been main drivers of the implementation of universal service so far in Korea, which is not appropriate and suitable for the information society that new telecom services are rapidly emerging.
Mobile communication and social capital: an analysis of geographically differentiated usage patterns
the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 2017
The pursuit of media diversity as a policy goal finds its foundation in First Amendment values wh... more The pursuit of media diversity as a policy goal finds its foundation in First Amendment values which assume that the public welfare requires broad dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources. Using 5 waves of panel data collected during the 2008 presidential campaign in the U.S., this article empirically examines the assumption that seeking diverse and antagonistic viewpoints reflects good citizenship. The results suggest that heavy consumption of liberal and conservative viewpoints together leads to higher levels of political knowledge, but suppresses political participation. The role of news media use in democratic citizenship might depend on quantity as well as on diversity.
Telematics and Informatics, 2016
Telematics and Informatics, May 1, 2016
New Media & Society, Aug 5, 2011
This study tests theoretical propositions that intensive mobile communication in small networks o... more This study tests theoretical propositions that intensive mobile communication in small networks of like-minded strong ties hinders open dialogue with others. Using multi-wave panel data from a representative sample of adults in the US, the study found that reported levels of open dialogue decreased slightly with mobile-mediated political discussion in small and like-minded strong-tie networks. Interestingly, a more pronounced positive effect was found for mobile-mediated discussion in larger networks of like-minded close ties. In this case, open dialogue was facilitated by mobile-mediated discussion, revealing potential for mobile communication among close personal ties to expand spheres of public discourse and deliberation. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are offered in the discussion.
Communication Research, Aug 1, 1999
The findings of this study support the significance of motivational variables and media use in mo... more The findings of this study support the significance of motivational variables and media use in modifying the relationship between education and knowledge acquisition. People's behavioral involvement in the 1992 presidential campaign influenced the knowledge gap between education groups such that the gap was significantly smaller among those with a higher level of involvement. Also, respondents' television news viewing during the campaign significantly reduced the knowledge gap between education groups; thus, the more frequently people watched news stories on television, the smaller the impact of education on knowledge acquisition. The results also showed that there was a significant three-way interaction among education, campaign interest, and newspaper news attention, which indicates that the contribution of newspaper news attention to the knowledge gap between education groups differed depending on respondents' campaign interests.
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Oct 2, 2017
The pursuit of media diversity as a policy goal finds its foundation in First Amendment values wh... more The pursuit of media diversity as a policy goal finds its foundation in First Amendment values which assume that the public welfare requires broad dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources. Using 5 waves of panel data collected during the 2008 presidential campaign in the U.S., this article empirically examines the assumption that seeking diverse and antagonistic viewpoints reflects good citizenship. The results suggest that heavy consumption of liberal and conservative viewpoints together leads to higher levels of political knowledge, but suppresses political participation. The role of news media use in democratic citizenship might depend on quantity as well as on diversity.
Telematics and Informatics, May 1, 2016
We examined the role of mobile communication in cross-national contexts.Two independent surveys o... more We examined the role of mobile communication in cross-national contexts.Two independent surveys of adults in the US and in South Korea were used.Informational mobile use was linked to greater cross-cutting discussion.Relational use was linked to greater cross-cutting discussion in South Korea only.Informational and relational mobile uses jointly predicted enhanced deliberation. This study aims to examine how distinct uses of mobile telephony are associated with one of the key elements in deliberative democracy from a cross-national and cross-cultural perspective. Specifically, we investigate the process in which the dynamic interplay between mobile phone uses for social relations and information is linked to an individual's engagement in open dialogue with non-likeminded people (i.e., cross-cutting discussion). In addition, we assess the extent to which cultures shape the implications of mobile communication for deliberative democracy while drawing on two independent surveys of adults in the US and South Korea. In brief, we show that the proper recipe of mobile phone use is linked to an enhanced deliberative democracy with a noteworthy qualification that the role of mobile communication may depend on unique cultural characteristics.
68th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association : Voices (ICA18), May 24, 2018
Journal of Digital Convergence, 2019
By a comparative study of the philosophical backgrounds of universal service in Korea and the US,... more By a comparative study of the philosophical backgrounds of universal service in Korea and the US, this research finds that Korea has paid little attention to the relations between universal service and basic human rights even though it has rapidly and successfully implemented universal service of telephone and the internet services in the past. Based on this key finding, it reaches a conclusion that Korea should adopt a new approach in implementing universal service in the future, considering the goals and contributions to the improvement of the basic human rights of universal service because economic goals have been main drivers of the implementation of universal service so far in Korea, which is not appropriate and suitable for the information society that new telecom services are rapidly emerging.
Mobile communication and social capital: an analysis of geographically differentiated usage patterns
the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 2017
The pursuit of media diversity as a policy goal finds its foundation in First Amendment values wh... more The pursuit of media diversity as a policy goal finds its foundation in First Amendment values which assume that the public welfare requires broad dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources. Using 5 waves of panel data collected during the 2008 presidential campaign in the U.S., this article empirically examines the assumption that seeking diverse and antagonistic viewpoints reflects good citizenship. The results suggest that heavy consumption of liberal and conservative viewpoints together leads to higher levels of political knowledge, but suppresses political participation. The role of news media use in democratic citizenship might depend on quantity as well as on diversity.
Telematics and Informatics, 2016