PATTERNS OF INTERACTION BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THEIR HOME DISTRICT NEWS MEDIA (UNITED STATES)

This dissertation sought to determine why some members of the United States House of Representatives pay more attention to their home district news media than other members of Congress. This was done by attempting to measure how many resources, such as personal time, staff time, or budgeted items (such as renting the House studios), members devoted to the task. The study examined patterns of member behavior as measured by the following variables. The dependent variables were the number of news secretaries (or FTE) assigned to the member\u27s office, the percent of the member\u27s official work time devoted to news media relations activities, the number of printed news releases disseminated per week, the number of recorded television news releases disseminated per week, and member appearances on regular home district radio and television programs. The independent variables were seniority, party, electoral strength, holding leadership positions in the House, preferred communication style, representational focus, number of contacts from reporters each week and the composition of the media markets within member\u27s home districts. Overall, the study produced numerous null findings. However, the findings of the study did suggest that those members with active news media relations programs tended to have the following characteristics. One, they likely were from an electorally marginal district. Two, junior members were more likely to have active news media relations programs than their more senior counterparts. Three, members receiving more contacts per week from their district-based reporters and Washington-based stringers were more likely than their counterparts to have active news media relations programs