When the Media Make a Difference: A Cross-National Analysis of Exposure to Cross-Cutting News and Turnout

• In Event: Comparing Political Communication: Cross-National Perspectives

Abstract

This study examines if exposure to political disagreement through the media make citizens more or less likely to go to the ballot box. Previous research provides mixed results on the mobilizing effects of exposure to cross-cutting, or non-likeminded, political viewpoints. Based on the 2009 EES covering 27 European countries, we show that the relationship between exposure to cross-cutting news and turnout is non-linear. While exposure to extreme levels of cross-cutting news indeed diminishes turnout, moderate exposure to cross-cutting news content actually mobilizes citizens to vote. A follow-up analysis shows that exposure to cross-cutting news adds to the perception that something is at stake which, in turn, leads to higher electoral participation. In a concluding section, we discuss the implications of our findings in light of the current changes in media environments and patterns of news consumption.

Authors

• Laia Castro Herrero, University of Fribourg

• David Nicolas Hopmann, U of Southern Denmark, Centre for Journalism