Building social capital. How the news and the strength of the ties in the political discussion foster reciprocity

Abstract

Reciprocity, a social principle that emerges in non-negotiated, inter-personal exchange, is arguably a key construct in generating social capital. However, little research has made this empirical connection. Building on an Orientation-Stimulus-Reasoning-Orientation-Response model, this study advances a theoretical and empirical model in which news use and political discussion tie strength contributes to the development of reciprocity and social capital. Drawing on two-wave panel data, results suggest that reciprocity is a strong predictor of social capital. News media use also directly predicts reciprocity, as well as political discussion with both strong and weak ties, and social capital. Additionally, discussion with weak ties and reciprocity mediate the relationship between news use and social capital.