A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MASS MEDIA USE BY ELDERLY BLACKS AND ELDERLY WHITES IN HOUSTON

Little, if any, is known about the communications need of the elderly blacks, though they constitute a significant size of the population of the City of Houston. This study investigated the communication choice and use pattern of elderly blacks as compared to their white counterparts. Unlike earlier investigations, which have focused on isolated medium of communication, this study explored the impact of race in the choice and use pattern of individual medium, and the connection between the various medium in relation to race. Three questions were specifically addressed by this study. These are: (1) is there a statistically significant difference between elderly blacks’ and elderly whites’ communication choice and use pattern? (2) Does socio-demographic variables significantly influence the choice and use of mass media channels by older adults of difference races? (3) Is there a significant difference between elderly blacks and whites in their choice of interpersonal communications? These questions were further broken down and classified into eight testable categories referred to as empirical hypotheses. Answers to these questions were then sought by investigating the sets of variables in each of the empirical hypotheses with the subjects as the independent variable in each case. One hundred and twelve elderly blacks, and one hundred and twenty eight elderly whites, residing in the city of Houston were surveyed. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the subjects. Persons who needed help with filling out the questionnaire were assisted by the researchers, who supervised the entire data collection process. Responses were coded and quantified and cross-tabulations of the stated variables and the subject’s race (black and white) were provided through computer analysis. The study indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between subject’s race and choice and use of electronic and print media, and that there is no significant difference between elderly blacks and whites in their choice of interpersonal communication. Thus concluding that: (1) Elderly blacks spend more time daily watching television and listening to the radio than their white counterpart, (2) Elderly whites read newspaper more often than elderly blacks with similar levels of education, income, and other basic socio-demographic variables, (3) Elderly blacks use television primarily as a source of information and companionship, (4) Elderly whites use TV primarily for entertainment and to pass time, (5) Both elderly blacks and elderly whites consider reading books and magazines as an important habit, (6) Finally, both groups show no significant difference in their choice of interpersonal communication to justify segmenting the two groups for appeals using the medium.