Beyond the Invisible Primary? Trump's Unique Response to Media Attention in 2016

Candidate Selection Media Effects News Media American Politics @POP 2 R files 1 dataset Dataverse

Donald Trump’s primary election victory marked a turning point for understanding media dynamics. This study examines how news coverage affected public interest and candidate support leading up to the 2016 Republican primaries.

Media Attention & Polling

News outlets measured campaign visibility by tracking mentions in major newspapers, online articles, and broadcast reports. They analyzed quantity of coverage versus poll performance across all candidates.

Key Findings

Quantity mattered for most candidates: increased media attention boosted public polling interest but not support
Trump was an exception: his approval ratings saw a modest increase following heightened press exposure

Policy Implications

These results highlight how news organizations can significantly impact political visibility and potentially influence election outcomes through coverage patterns.

Article card for article: Media Coverage, Public Interest, and Support in the 2016 Republican Invisible Primary

Media Coverage, Public Interest, and Support in the 2016 Republican Invisible Primary was authored by Kevin Reuning and Nick Dietrich. It was published by Cambridge in POP in 2019.