The Cost of the Veil: Visual Communication Impacts of Hijab on News Judgments. Issue 6 (2nd November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Connolly-Ahern, Colleen; Ahern, Lee; Coman, Ioana Alexandra; Molina Davila, María Dolores; Davis, Stefanie E.; Cabrera-Baukus, María
• Is Part Of: Mass communication & society. Volume 22:Issue 6(2019)
• Page Start: 851
• Page End: 871
• Publication Date: 2019-11-02
• Subjects: Mass media -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Mass media and culture -- Periodicals; Communication -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Communication and culture -- Periodicals; Journalism -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Médias -- Aspect social -- Périodiques; Médias et culture -- Périodiques; Communication -- Aspect social -- Périodiques; Communication et culture -- Périodiques; Presse -- Aspect social -- Périodiques; Communication and culture; Communication -- Social aspects; Journalism -- Social aspects; Mass media and culture; Mass media -- Social aspects; Periodicals; 302.23
• DOI: 10.1080/15205436.2019.1685107
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1520-5436

Abstract

Abstract : Using disposition theory as a framework, this 2 (headscarf vs. no headscarf) by 2 (US citizen vs. refugee) experiment sought to elucidate the impact of visual and verbal cues in mediated messages on conclusions drawn from a television news package about a woman accused of consorting with a known terrorist group in the US, in terms of parochial empathy for and perceived innocence of the woman. Parochial empathy measures the difference between ingroup and outgroup empathy; higher levels indicate ingroup empathy is greater than outgroup empathy, meaning the individual's empathy is very narrow in scope or "parochial." Political identity was a measured independent variable. The data supported a model in which political identity was a significant moderator of the headscarf's effect on parochial empathy, and that parochial empathy mediated the relationship between the manipulated and measured predictor variables on perceived innocence. Details of the relationships among variables are reported and the implications for theory and journalism practice are discussed.