Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This field experiment examined theoretical and conceptual questions surrounding the hostile media effect – the perceptual bias in which partisans on a controversial issue tend to see news coverage of that issue as biased in favor of the other side. Using groups of partisans on opposite sides of the debate over genetically modified animals, we designed a test of the relative influence of author (journalist versus college student) and reach (mass media versus classroom composition) on perceptions of bias. We found main effects for both theoretical factors with no significant covariates or interactions. In addition, partisanship, a concept barely explored in this research arena, was composed of two dimensions – ego involvement and relevance. These two dimensions played distinctive roles in perceptions of hostile media content: low relevance drove differing perceptions of bias in the author conditions, while high ego involvement explained differing perceptions of bias in the reach conditions.