Selective politics: The fragmentation and polarization of news on cable TV.

摘要

As the number of available outlets for political news grows, so does the tendency of citizens to self-select which news to consume and which to ignore. This news filtering has resulted in media fragmentation---a situation where different individuals are consuming unique news packages. This paper looks at selectivity by news consumers as well as selectivity by news organizations that must make choices about which news stories to present to the public and which to exclude. This study argues that both types of political media selectivity are largely driven by political belief systems. Using a quantitative content analysis to analyze cable news broadcasts on MSNBC and Fox News, I find that these news outlets have a significant partisan slant, with MSNBC leaning liberal and Fox News leaning conservative. I then performed an audience analysis using the Pew Research Center's 2010 Media Consumption Survey. I show how fragmented cable news audiences are based on party identification and political ideology, with Democrats/liberals gravitating towards MSNBC and Republicans/conservatives relying heavily on Fox News, and both groups largely ignoring the opposing point of view. This study then discusses the polarizing effects of this "echo chamber" news environment, where citizens lack a common frame of reference on political issues and move towards more fiercely partisan, and often radical political opinions.