Media Exposure and Information Seeking as Antecedents: Individual Behavioral Response to Corporate Political Advocacy in the Case of Lyft's Action Against the Texas Abortion Ban.

This study examines factors influencing U.S. individuals' social media engagement in response to Lyft's corporate political advocacy (CPA) opposing the Texas abortion ban (Senate Bill 8) and supporting drivers legally. Using two-wave panel survey data and the orientation–stimuli–orientation–response (O-S-O-R) model, the research finds that media exposure to abortion ban-related news does not directly predict social media engagement; instead, active information seeking mediates this relationship and significantly promotes engagement behaviors categorized as Consumer Digital Engagement in response to Corporate Political Advocacy (CDE-CPA). The study highlights the importance of information seeking as a cognitive process linking media exposure to online political activism and suggests that collective efficacy and issue importance also influence engagement. These findings offer theoretical contributions to media effects and CPA research and practical implications for corporations and advocates aiming to mobilize public support through strategic communication.