Noting that specific audience reaction to the media coverage of the various stages of an organized protest is seldom documented, this monograph analyzes the consequences of extensive media coverage during the crucial stages of a social protest against the construction of a high voltage powerline. In particular, the monograph considers two hypotheses: (1) as a conflict evolves from early to later stages, audience sources of information become more diversified, leading to changes in the relative use of newspapers, television, and personal sources by the audience, with television becoming more frequently used; and (2) as a conflict moves from coverage primarily by local and regional newspapers to coverage by metropolitan newspapers and television, the relationship between audience knowledge and use of newspapers will decline and the relationship between knowledge and use of television as a source will increase. The monograph discusses the evidence that supports the first hypothesis, describes how the second hypothesis receives partial support from the evidence, and concludes that the relationship between conflict intensity and communication flow is conditioned by the current phase of the controversy. (HOD)