The Effect of Partisan Media Exposure on the 2016 Presidential Election

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Madison Emmie Buchness (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: "Does partisan media influence people's attitudes? In particular , does media bias influence voters' attitudes toward presidential candidates? One perspective is that voters' opinions of candidates are due to other factors , such as , social relationships or work environments. In other words , the media does not matter in opinion formation. Another possibility is that television programs do influence viewers to believe a certain message. It might be the case that viewing partisan media , like Fox and MSNBC , move opinions in a direction consistent with the message conveyed. This subject is important , as the republic was formed with the intention of having informed voters , and the media plays a vital role in educating that electorate (Lippman , 1922). The American republic stands on the idea of informed voters choosing their next leader (Carpini and Keeter , 1996). But , framing theory suggests the way an issue or candidate is ""framed€ affects the opinions people form about those issues or candidates. This clearly strays from the idea of a rational voter forming opinions based on information only. In this study , I used the 2016 and 2012 American National Election Studies data to examine how exposure to partisan framed media affects candidate evaluations. I find that partisan media does affect people's feelings toward presidential candidates. In the next section , I review research on minimal effects , selective exposure , and framing to help answer the research question. Following that , I discuss the data and methods involved in the study. After an explanation of the methods that I used , I share my findings. In the final section , I present my conclusions of this analysis and the implications."

Additional Information

Publication

Thesis

Language: English

Date: 2018

Keywords

partisan media, media bias, presidential election, framing, minimal effects, selective exposure

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