Politically Motivated Selective Exposure in Wisconsin

• In Event: The News Audience

Abstract

The expanding range of media choice facilitated by the rise of digital communication technologies means that politically interested individuals can make more media-related choices that are consistent with their pre-existing opinions. But the question of whether the typical individual engages in politically motivated selective exposure is still an unsettled issue because results tend to vary according to how each study operationalizes the concept. Relying on results from a Web-based survey administered to a representative sample of adults in Wisconsin, we take on the problem of politically motivated selective exposure. Results show a positive but small relationship between political predispositions and exposure to partisan news media. Moreover, results show a substantial audience for news media that would typically be categorized as “neutral.” We conclude that politically motivated selective exposure occurs in Wisconsin, particularly among those with extreme ideologies, but the prevalence of this behavior may be somewhat overstated in existing literature.

Authors

• Matt Barnidge, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Jinha Kim, U of Wisconsin-Madison

• Yangsun Hong, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Mallory R Perryman, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Swee Kiat Tay, U of Wisconsin-Madison

• Mitchell bard, Iona College

• Stephanie Jean Tsang, U of Wisconsin-Madison

• Albert C. Gunther, U of Wisconsin-Madison