This article critically assesses how media content and exposure were previously linked in political science research. The author argues that earlier conclusions drawn from 'Who's Afraid of Conflict?' do not hold due to the study's specific operationalization choices. Using a refined methodology, they demonstrate both conflictual and non-conflictual news exposure yield identical substantive results regarding electoral behavior. Beyond questioning the role of conflict framing in elections, this piece advances methodological debates within media studies by integrating individual-level measures with traditional observational approaches.