Exemplification and the HME, 2
Exemplification of Public Opinion and Hostile Media Judgments: The Effect of
Supportive and Unsupportive Quotes on Perceptions of New Story Bias and Influence
Investigations of how news content is processed by readers and viewers suggests
that news stories about controversial events and issues that are intended to be balanced or
neutral are often perceived as biased by many audience members. This phenomenon is
obviously problematic for news organizations that strive for perceptions of objectivity
and credibility among audience members in an effort to retain those audience members
(Gaziano & McGrath, 1986; Project for Excellence, 2004; Tsfati & Capella, 2003).
Research on the hostile media effect points to the inherent difficulty in achieving such a
goal and offers explanations for why much news content is viewed as biased, and often,
as influential in changing opinions among others who read or view it.
The hostile media effect suggests that individuals who are highly involved with an
(often controversial) issue or group that is the focus of a news story will believe the story
favors the other side of the issue or the opposing group, rather than their own opinions or
group (Vallone, Ross, & Lepper, 1985). Conversely, those who are not involved with the
issue or group would evaluate the same content as neutral. Studies of the hostile media
effect have sought to illuminate the particular facets of or elements associated with a
news story that indicate bias to the reader, viewer, or listener. For example, researchers
have manipulated the overall slant of the story or the news source and found hostile
perceptions to vary accordingly (Arpan & Raney, 2003; Gunther & Christen, 1999).
Additionally, a recent study found that the quotes from average individuals (as opposed
to the reporter’s narrative) included in news stories were identified by research
Convention