Partisan media effects beyond one-shot experimental designs
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2-2022
Abstract
Previous study demonstrates that partisans perceive in-party news outlets as fair, and out-party news outlets as unfair. However, much of this study relies on one-shot designs. We create an ecologically valid design that randomly assigns participants to news feeds within a week-long online news portal where the balance of in-party and out-party news outlets has been manipulated. We find that sustained exposure to a feed that features out-party news media attenuates Democrats' beliefs that Fox News is unfair, but the same is not true for Republican's perceptions of MSNBC's fairness. Unexpectedly, repeated exposure to in-party news did increase Republicans' beliefs that Fox News is unfair. This study updates our understanding of partisan news effects in a fragmented online news environment.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Political Science Research and Methods
First Page
206
Last Page
214
Recommended Citation
Searles, K., Darr, J., Sui, M., Kalmoe, N., Pingree, R., & Watson, B. (2022). Partisan media effects beyond one-shot experimental designs. Political Science Research and Methods, 10 (1), 206-214. https://doi.org/10.1017/psrm.2021.21