Loading...
Exploring Entertainment Media Diets in the Age of Polarization
Freedman, Sarah
Freedman, Sarah
Citations
Altmetric:
License
DOI
Abstract
Objective: With widespread polarization in American partisan news media and culture, entertainment media can play an important role in shaping or changing political attitudes. This project explores whether entertainment TV has the ability to increase partisan crossover within the nation's contemporary partisan divide. Methods: Investigative methods include analyzing 2008 and 2024 surveys for US-based respondents on reasons for watching a particular show or show type, and a content analysis of the shows Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, NCIS, and Duck Dynasty, in which I code for liberal and conservative values each show evokes and compare those to its partisan viewership. Results: Through these two methods of analysis, this research found that entertainment media diets varied on a partisan basis more than previously thought. This variance was seen in the heterogeneous content of shows themselves, as well as the cross-partisan show selection for many individuals surveyed. Conclusions: This research can add to the growing litany of research on the political effects of entertainment media. More specifically, these findings show that entertainment media’s political effects can extend beyond the limitations of self-exposure.
Description
Date
2024-01-01