All Hostile Media: Consonance of News Reporting as Moderator of the Hostile Media Effect

• In Event: News, Politics, and Stereotyped Portrayals

Abstract

The present study examines group membership, ingroup identification and consonance of news reporting as factors reinforcing the hostile media effect (HME). Group membership and ingroup identification are both thought to set off and increase the HME. Consonance is introduced as a new possible moderator of the effect. The concept was described by Noelle-Neumann 40 years ago and has since been associated with powerful media effects. As Peter (2004) pointed out this notion has so far barely been assessed. An experiment set within the context of a conflict held between practitioners of complementary and academic medicine, revealed group membership to qualify the HME. Yet high ingroup identification and the perception of consonant news reporting led to even stronger effects.

Authors

• Anne Schulz, U of Zurich, IPMZ

• Martin Wettstein, University of Zurich

• Werner Wirth, U of Zurich