scholarly journals Reinforcing spirals at work? Mutual influences between selective news exposure and ideological leaning

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M Dahlgren ◽  
Adam Shehata ◽  
Jesper Strömbäck
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Political Attitudes ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Selective Exposure ◽  
Online News ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Print News ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Reciprocal Influences ◽  
Consistent Information

The growth of partisan news sources has raised concerns that people will increasingly select attitude-consistent information, which might lead to increasing political polarization. Thus far, there is limited research on the long-term mutual influences between selective exposure and political attitudes. To remedy this, this study investigates the reciprocal influences between selective exposure and political attitudes over several years, using a three-wave panel survey conducted in Sweden during 2014–2016. More specifically, we analyse how ideological selective exposure to both traditional and online news media influences citizens’ ideological leaning. Findings suggest that (1) people seek-out ideologically consistent print news and online news and (2) such attitude-consistent news exposure reinforces citizens’ ideological leaning over time. In practice, however, such reinforcement effects are hampered by (3) relatively low overall ideological selective exposure and a (4) significant degree of cross-cutting news exposure online. These findings are discussed in light of selective exposure theory and the reinforcing spirals model.

scholarly journals Porous Chambers, Echoes of Valence and Stereotypes

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate M. Turetsky ◽  
Travis A. Riddle
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Selective Exposure ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Sources ◽  
News Organizations ◽  
Echo Chambers ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
High Connectivity

Selective exposure to one-sided news coverage, especially of controversial geopolitical events, may contribute to growing social polarization. Existing research on “echo chambers”—fragmented information environments that amplify homogeneous perspectives—focuses on the degree to which individuals and social media platforms shape informational segregation. Here, we explore whether news organizations directly contribute to echo chambers through the hyperlinks they embed in online articles. Using network and text analysis, we examined coverage of the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, and found that online news media exhibited weak community structure and high connectivity across news outlets. However, analyses also indicated that media sources were more likely to link to coverage that was similar to their own in terms of emotional valence and stereotype-relevant aspects of the events. While hyperlinking to diverse news sources may ameliorate fragmented information environments, selectively linking to similar coverage may contribute to growing polarization.

scholarly journals Populist Attitudes and Selective Exposure to Online News: A Cross-Country Analysis Combining Web Tracking and Surveys

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 426-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Stier ◽  
Nora Kirkizh ◽  
Caterina Froio ◽  
Ralph Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
News Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Selective Exposure ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Data Limitations ◽  
Demographic Attributes

Research has shown that citizens with populist attitudes evaluate the news media more negatively, and there is also suggestive evidence that they rely less on established news sources like the legacy press. However, due to data limitations, there is still no solid evidence whether populist citizens have skewed news diets in the contemporary high-choice digital media environment. In this paper, we rely on the selective exposure framework and investigate the relationship between populist attitudes and the consumption of various types of online news. To test our theoretical assumptions, we link 150 million Web site visits by 7,729 Internet users in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States to their responses in an online survey. This design allows us to measure media exposure more precisely than previous studies while linking these data to demographic attributes and political attitudes of participants. The results show that populist attitudes leave pronounced marks in people’s news diets, but the evidence is heterogeneous and highly contingent on the supply side of a country’s media system. Most importantly, citizens with populist attitudes visit less Web sites from the legacy press, while consuming more hyperpartisan news. Despite these tendencies, the Web tracking data show that populist citizens still primarily get their news from established sources. We discuss the implications of these results for the current state of public spheres in democracies.

Cognitive Dissonance or Credibility? A Comparison of Two Theoretical Explanations for Selective Exposure to Partisan News

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam J. Metzger ◽  
Ethan H. Hartsell ◽  
Andrew J. Flanagin
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Selective Exposure ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Sources ◽  
News Source ◽  
News Credibility ◽  
Consistent Information ◽  
Partisan News

Selective exposure research indicates that news consumers tend to seek out attitude-consistent information and avoid attitude-challenging information. This study examines online news credibility and cognitive dissonance as theoretical explanations for partisan selective exposure behavior. After viewing an attitudinally consistent, challenging, or politically balanced online news source, cognitive dissonance, credibility perceptions, and likelihood of selective exposure were measured. Results showed that people judge attitude-consistent and neutral news sources as more credible than attitude-challenging news sources, and although people experience slightly more cognitive dissonance when exposed to attitude-challenging news sources, overall dissonance levels were quite low. These results refute the cognitive dissonance explanation for selective exposure and suggest a new explanation that is based on credibility perceptions rather than psychological discomfort with attitude-challenging information.

scholarly journals Framing ‘Friend’: Media Framing of ‘Man’s Best Friend’ and the Pattern of Police Shootings of Dogs

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Devon Thacker Thomas ◽  
Jenny Vermilya
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Use Of Force ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Print News ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Police Shootings ◽  
The Media

The representation and framing of events by news sources plays a critical role in the way society comes to understand a given phenomenon. For example, the use of force by police officers against civilians is covered regularly by news media outlets. Far less widely examined, however, is the excessive use of force against companion animals or pets. Thus, to understand the ways in which police use of force against animals is framed in the media, we conducted qualitative content analyses of 189 print news articles published in diverse regions of the U.S. over the course of a six-year period (2011–2016). Drawing on symbolic interactionism, analysis reveals that the media’s representation of incidents of police shootings of dogs speaks not only to the social value dogs have in society, but also to the acceptability of friendships between humans and dogs. Specifically, we argue that some dog–human relationships are more socially acceptable than others and, therefore, shootings against some dogs are perceived as less acceptable than others. Ultimately, we find that news media representation and the ways in which incidents are framed reify existent social hierarchies. This research contributes to growing bodies of literature on police violence, the shift in perspectives on animals in society, and the power of the media to affect public perception of incidents.

scholarly journals From the Deeming Rule to JUUL—US News Coverage of Electronic Cigarettes, 2015–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1816-1822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia A Wackowski ◽  
Jennah M Sontag ◽  
Binu Singh ◽  
Jessica King ◽  
M Jane Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
High Volume ◽  
The United States ◽  
Online News ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Introduction News media may influence public perceptions and attitudes about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), which may influence product use and attitudes about their regulation. The purpose of this study is to describe trends in US news coverage of e-cigarettes during a period of evolving regulation, science, and trends in the use of e-cigarettes. Methods We conducted a content analysis of e-cigarette topics and themes covered in US news articles from 2015 to 2018. Online news databases (Access World News, Factiva) were used to obtain US news articles from the top 34 circulating newspapers, four national wire services, and five leading online news sources. Results The number of articles increased by 75.4% between 2015 and 2018 (n = 1609). Most articles focused on policy/regulation (43.5%) as a main topic, followed by health effects (22.3%) and prevalence/trends (17.9%). Discussion about flavor bans quadrupled (6.1% to 24.6%) and discussion of youth e-cigarette use was most prevalent (58.4%) in 2018, coinciding with an increase in coverage about JUUL. JUUL was mentioned in 50.8% of 2018 articles. Across years, articles more frequently mentioned e-cigarette risks (70%) than potential benefits (37.3%). Conclusions E-cigarettes continue to be a newsworthy topic, with coverage both reflecting numerous changes and events over time, and providing repeated opportunities for informing the public and policymakers about these novel products. Future research should continue to track how discourse changes over time and assess its potential influence on e-cigarette perceptions and policy changes. Implications E-cigarette news coverage in the United States increased between 2015 and 2018 and predominantly focused on policy and regulation. Notable spikes in volume were associated with some but not all major e-cigarette events, including the FDA’s deeming rule, Surgeon General’s report, and release of the National Youth Tobacco Survey data in 2018. Coverage of the 2018 National Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Sciences report on the Public Health Consequences of E-cigarettes received minimal news coverage. The high volume in 2018 was driven in large part by coverage of the e-cigarette brand JUUL; over half of news articles in 2018 referenced JUUL specifically.

The Representation of Syrian Refugees in Canadian Online Media: A Focus on the Topos of Burdening

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manar Mustafa ◽  
Zahariah Pilus ◽  
Maskanah Mohammad Lotfie
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Conservative Party ◽  
Online News ◽  
Media Representation ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Liberal Party ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Negative Conclusion ◽  
Insight Into

Background: This study focuses on the representation of Syrian refugees in Canadian online news media. It examines 375 articles selected from three of the most visited Canadian news sites, namely the Toronto Star, which favours the Liberal Party, and the Toronto Sun and National Post, which favour the Conservative Party. Analysis: The basis of this research is a topoi analysis, whereby instances of the topos of burdening are identified, examined, and categorized as either positive or negative. Conclusion and implications: A distinction is drawn between the depiction of Syrian refugees in conservative- and liberal-leaning news sources. The findings aim to provide some insight into the possible impact of media representation on both the Syrian refugees and the Canadian public. Contexte: Cette étude porte sur la représentation des réfugiés syriens dans les médias d’information canadiens en ligne. Elle examine 375 articles choisis à partir de trois des sites de nouvelles canadiens les plus visités, à savoir le Toronto Star, partisan du Parti libéral, le Toronto Sun et le National Post, partisans du Parti conservateur. Analyse: Cette recherche se fonde sur l’analyse de topoï pour identifier, examiner et catégoriser des topos sur les fardeaux comme étant positif ou négatifs. Conclusion et implications: Cette étude établit une distinction entre la manière dont les sources de nouvelles à tendance conservatrice dépeignent les réfugiés syriens et la manière dont les sources à tendance libérale le font. L’objectif est de mieux comprendre l’impact possible des représentations médiatiques sur les réfugiés syriens ainsi que sur le public canadien.

scholarly journals Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pere Masip ◽  
Jaume Suau ◽  
Carlos Ruiz-Caballero
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
News Media ◽  
Selective Exposure ◽  
Online News ◽  
Audience Participation ◽  
News Content ◽  
Media System ◽  
Weak Association ◽  
Echo Chambers ◽  
Incidental Exposure

Debates about post-truth need to take into account how news re-disseminates in a hybrid media system in which social networks and audience participation play a central role. Hence, there is a certain risk of reducing citizens’ exposure to politically adverse news content, creating ‘echo chambers’ of political affinity. This article presents the results of research conducted in agreement with 18 leading Spanish online news media, based on a survey (N = 6625) of their registered users. The results highlight that high levels of selective exposure that are a characteristic of offline media consumption are being moderated in the online realm. Although most of the respondents get news online from like-minded media, the figures related to those who also get news from media with a different media ideology should not be underestimated. As news consumption is becoming more ‘social,’ our research points out that Spanish citizens who are more active on social media sites are more likely to be exposed to news content from different ideological positions than those who are less active users. There is a weak association between the use of a particular social network site and gaining access to like- and non-like-minded news.

scholarly journals Viral News on the Coronavirus: Does it Contribute to Health Communication?

Tripodos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (47) ◽  
pp. 49-66
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Khan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
News Media ◽  
Online News ◽  
Online Media ◽  
The Public ◽  
News Sources

From a century to a decade ago, the news media played a crucial role in providing the public with valuable in­formation, especially during a crisis. However, the advent of social media has brought about a change in ac­cess and distribution of the news and this may have resulted in less effec­tive health communication during this global coronavirus pandemic. These days, social media can have a great­er public reach and therefore, be the best tool to disseminate information. At the same time, there is the ques­tion of whether the important or trivial information is being shared. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of social media in providing the public with important information during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Using Great Britain as a case study, the research analysed the kind of content on the coronavirus that had gone vi­ral in online news sources in the Unit­ed Kingdom to determine whether the information that was being shared contributed or not to effective health communication. Keywords: news, viral news, online media, journalism, crisis communica­tion, coronavirus.

Perusing pages and skimming screens: Exploring differing patterns of selective exposure to hard news and professional sources in online and print news

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 3580-3596 ◽  
Author(s):  
George DH Pearson ◽  
Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick
Keyword(s):  
Selective Exposure ◽  
Online News ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Print News ◽  
Soft News ◽  
Source Type ◽  
Delivery Format ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
High Credibility

Changing structures to online news have instigated concerns that the electorate may predominantly consume soft news for entertainment purposes while neglecting public affairs information. The Internet in particular brought an increase in outlets, including unconventional low-credibility sources. A 2 × 2 × 2 within-subjects experiment ( n = 197) investigated whether delivery format (print vs online) and source type (high vs low credibility) shape the extent to which recipients select different types of news (public affairs news vs soft news). Participants browsed 32 news items, half of them hard news and the other half soft news, either associated with high- or low-credibility sources, and did so online or via print magazine. Results show that greater preference for online news fostered selective exposure to hard news. Greater habitual news use via social media reduced selective exposure to news from high-credibility sources.

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