doi: 10.1093/poq/nfw002.Ībstract: “What is the relationship between party polarization, media fragmentation, and partisan-ideological sorting? The growth and availability of partisan media - afforded through the expansion of cable, satellite, and Internet penetration - is often linked to the consistency and extremity of individuals’ political attitudes and partisan identities. “Party Polarization, Media Choice, and Mass Partisan-Ideological Sorting”ĭavis, Nicholas T. Most of these intense partisans believe the opposing party’s policies ‘are so misguided that they threaten the nation’s well-being.’” These hardcore partisans are not a majority they constitute 27 percent of Democratic Party members and 36 percent of Republicans. A June 2014 study, which found partisan animosity “increased substantially” between 19: “In each party, the share with a highly negative view of the opposing party has more than doubled since 1994.Republicans have leads among whites - particularly white men, those with less education and evangelical Protestants - as well as members of the Silent Generation.” The paper also reports that registered independents tend to lean Democratic or Republican: “48 percent either identify as Democrats or lean Democratic 39 percent identify as Republicans or lean Republican.” A study published in April 2015 that notes differences in party affiliation by race and gender: “Democrats hold advantages in party identification among blacks, Asians, Hispanics, well-educated adults and Millennials.An April 2016 study that suggests that education may play a large role in shaping one’s political views.Among the Pew studies that might be helpful are: The Pew Research Center has published several reports measuring political polarization and party affiliation. Helpful resources for reporters writing about this issue: By 2012, it was about politics almost 80 percent of the time. In 2000, it referred to political positions less than half the time instead it often described a feature of optical lenses used in sunglasses and cameras. The meaning of the word “polarization” has changed, too.The media’s discussion of political polarization has “increased dramatically” since the contested 2000 U.S.Voters respond slightly negatively to members of their own party whom they perceive to be polarizing, but far less than they do to “opposing partisans.”.That leads voters to respond more viscerally and dislike members of the opposing party more on a personal level. These individuals are perceived as “violating the norms of moderation” and compromise. Amid this awareness of polarization, voters increase their dislike for those with extreme views on the opposite end of the spectrum from their own - what the authors call “affective polarization” - and come to see these voters as representative of members of the opposition party.“When media depict the mass public as polarized and divided, citizens moderate their issue positions.” In response to these increased feelings that society is polarized, voters soften their own positions, seeking to compromise and see themselves as more centrist.Media coverage of polarization increases the belief among voters that the electorate is polarized.The study investigates the media’s role in shaping perceptions about how divided the country is, how news consumers alter their own positions and how they respond to members of the other party. Later they conducted experiments by asking subjects to respond to articles on a set of policy issues. The authors focus on newspapers, starting with a search for variations of the word “polarization” in midterm and presidential election years between 20. Study summary: This study, by Matthew Levendusky of the University of Pennsylvania and Neil Malhotra of Stanford University, explores the media’s role in shaping perceptions of political polarization. But how do such feelings affect political attitudes? Does the media’s coverage of partisan debates and disagreements deepen the discord?Īn academic study worth reading: “Does Media Coverage of Partisan Polarization Affect Political Attitudes?” Political Communication, 2016. Some attribute the dark mood to the media’s coverage of American politics, which can give the impression that the nation is irreconcilably split. Those numbers are higher for party members who either donate or volunteer. Approximately half of party members – 55 percent of Democrats and 49 percent of Republicans – say they fear the other party. The issue: Ideological divisions between Democrats and Republicans are more pronounced and views of the opposing party more negative than at any time in at least a quarter century, the Pew Research Center reported in June 2016.