Social media news use and polarized partisan perceptions: mediating roles of like-minded and cross-cutting discussion

ABSTRACT

Drawing on the revised communication mediation model and the relative hostile media framework, this study examines the roles of political discussions in the relationship between social media news use and polarized partisan perceptions. Findings from a two-wave national survey conducted during the 2020 U.S. election cycle support our proposed model: political discussion and relative hostile media perception sequentially mediate the link between social media news use and affective polarization. Specifically, social media news consumption is associated with higher levels of both like-minded political discussion and cross-cutting political discussion. Like-minded discussion widens, while cross-cutting discussion narrows, the perceived hostility gap between counter-attitudinal and pro-attitudinal media outlets. Relative hostile media perception in turn predicts affective polarization among partisans. This study underscores the impacts of interpersonal discussion and media perception on democracy in the contemporary media and political landscape.

KEYWORDS:

• Social media
• affective polarization
• hostile media perception
• like-minded discussion
• cross-cutting discussion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xia Zheng

Xia Zheng (PhD, Indiana University) is an assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism, and Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. His research focuses on the effects of mediated and interpersonal communication on health and political behaviors in the new media ecology. Contact information: [email protected]

Yanqin Lu

Yanqin Lu (PhD, Indiana University) is an associate professor in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University. His research interest is in political communication, media effects, and communication technologies. Contact information: [email protected]

Jae Kook Lee

Jae Kook Lee (PhD, University of Texas at Austin) is a professor in the Department of Media & Communication at Sungkyunkwan University. His research focuses on a wide range of issues concerning public opinion and media effects. His latest question is about how the changing media environment influences public opinion and the political communication process. Contact information: [email protected]

Jihyang Choi

Jihyang Choi (PhD, Indiana University) is an associate professor at the Division of Communication and Media, Ewha Womans University. Her primary research focus is on the effects of new media technologies on journalism and political communication. Contact information: [email protected]