Driving a Wedge Between Evidence and Beliefs: How Online Ideological News Exposure Promotes Political Misperceptions. Issue 5 (4th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Garrett, R. Kelly; Weeks, Brian E.; Neo, Rachel L.
• Is Part Of: Journal of computer-mediated communication. Volume 21:Issue 5(2016)
• Page Start: 331
• Page End: 348
• Publication Date: 2016-08-04
• Subjects: Misperceptions -- Media Effects -- Online News -- Belief Gap -- Information Deficit; Telematics -- Periodicals; Computer networks -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Communication -- Periodicals; 302.20285
• DOI: 10.1111/jcc4.12164
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1083-6101

Abstract

Abstract: This article has 2 goals: to provide additional evidence that exposure to ideological online news media contributes to political misperceptions, and to test 3 forms this media-effect might take. Analyses are based on representative survey data collected during the 2012 U.S. presidential election (N = 1, 004). Panel data offer persuasive evidence that biased news site use promotes inaccurate beliefs, while cross-sectional data provide insight into the nature of these effects. There is no evidence that exposure to ideological media reduces awareness of politically unfavorable evidence, though in some circumstances biased media do promote misunderstandings of it. The strongest and most consistent influence of ideological media exposure is to encourage inaccurate beliefs regardless of what consumers know of the evidence.