“Predisposed” Exposure: Exploring the Personality Basis for Selective and Cross-Cutting Exposure to Partisan News Media

• In Event: Cross-Cutting Exposure: Content, Cases, and Effects

Abstract

Why do some partisans engage in selective exposure to ideologically like-minded news sources while other partisans also engage in cross-cutting exposure to unlike minded news sources? The current study attempts to answer this question by exploring the link between openness to experience and consumption of ideologically-oriented news sources. Using a pooled sample of two American National Election Study surveys, this study demonstrated that openness to experience is positively associated with consumption of liberal news sources regardless of self-identified party identification. The findings of the current study reveal that openness to experience is associated with selective exposure for Democrats whereas it is related to “cross-cutting” exposure for Republicans. In other words, openness to experience may encourage “predisposed” exposure to liberal media whose narratives resonate with individual predispositions.

Authors

• Minchul Kim, Indiana U

• Cheonsoo Kim, Indiana U