Using data from a 1980 study of Iowa caucus and state nominating convention attendees a study investigated the newspaper and television use of political activists and opinion leaders or elites. Demographic and psychological variables were used to explain differences in media use behavior between the two groups, as well as to determine how the media use of the elites and the activists differed from that of the general public. A questionnaire on demographic variables as well as organizational activity and political partisanship was mailed to just under 4,000 people from both the Democratic and Republican parties and 1,980 completed surveys were returned. Two different measures were used to gauge communication behavior--one measuring frequency of newspaper and television use and the other gauging media preference. Results indicated that elites were older, highly educated, highly partisan, more likely to be males and members of organizations than were activists, while activists were young or middle aged, highly educated, and highly partisan. More women than men were activists, and subjects indicated they became activists at an early age--the 26-35 age group had the greatest number of activists. Elites read newspapers more frequently, but there was little difference in television use, and both groups were heavy consumers of media news. In fact, 70% or more of both activist and elite groups were bunched up in the two highest frequency of newspaper and television use categories. Findings suggest that media use behavior of activists and elites did not necessarily match those of the general public. (Eight tables of data and 78 footnotes are appended.) (NKA)