Believing is seeing: Korean immigrants’ perception of the former South Korean President Roh

Abstract

This study explores how individual characteristics interact with news media choice and people’s perception of mediated news events and public figures focusing on South Korean immigrants’ perception of the former South Korean President Roh. Thirteen South Korean immigrants were interviewed, and the results demonstrate a three-way relationship between (a) interviewees’ political orientation, (b) media choice, and (c) perception of Roh and the newspapers. The interviewees supporting Roh, who read online news on a regular basis but did not read conservative newspapers, recognized the political claim that the oligopoly of the conservative newspapers has influenced public opinion on Roh, while the readers of the conservative newspapers, who do not read on-line news, did not acknowledge the claim. Individuals’ opinions on Roh and the newspapers were not directed by media framing, but interviewees selectively chose what they read and accept.