Partisan Media Can Reduce Political Polarization: A New Experimental Approach Reveals Surprising Effects

While partisan media are often seen as reinforcing political divides, this study explores their potential to also reduce polarization between different ideological groups. We introduce the Preference-Incorporating Choice and Assignment (PICA) design, combining free choice with forced exposure in an innovative experimental approach.

Our research goes beyond previous studies by accounting for discrepancies between stated media preferences and actual viewing choices, a common source of bias that we address explicitly.

Key Findings:

We find partisan media can polarize its regular audience and*

* Inadvertently polarize those who would otherwise not consume it.

Crucially, ideologically opposing partisan media were found to reduce* existing polarization between consumers.

Why It Matters:

The findings offer a nuanced understanding of partisan media effects—capable of both deepening divides and potentially bridging them—and highlight the complex relationship between media consumption choices and political attitudes.