Examining the relationship between media use and political engagement: An international comparative study between the U.S., Kenya, and Nigeria.

Given the growing use and dependency individuals have on media, the relationship between media use and political engagement has been a subject of study among scholars across nations. The current study expands this line of research using a secondary analysis of a worldwide survey (N = 1,775) collected by Pew Research to examine antecedents of political participation in three nations, including the U.S., Kenya, and Nigeria. This study examines country-specific differences in how views on national politics and media use differently relate to political engagement. Results identify differences in the effects of traditional and new media use on political engagement between countries. Specifically, accessing news from social media and online news platforms is related to higher levels of political participation across countries. However, the influence of positive perceptions of the economy on political participation is found to differ in each nation. Implications for applying Western conceptu