A Stormy America: Modeling Selective Exposure Dynamics in the Wake of Political Scandal
Abstract In January of 2018 an alleged affair and hush money payment between U.S. President Donald Trump and adult film star Stormy Daniels was leak...
Abstract
In January of 2018 an alleged affair and hush money payment between U.S. President Donald Trump and adult film star Stormy Daniels was leaked. The present study investigates the Daniels scandal’s influence on public perceptions of both the President and his Republican Party by examining the influence of liberal and conservative news consumption on public perceptions of importance, blame, overall opinions of the scandal and voting intentions. Drawing from a framework based on selective exposure theory, this study aims to shed light into how both the scandal and corresponding media coverage can influence public opinion amidst a polarized media environment. Results from an MTurk survey provide qualified support for a selective exposure framework, although these effects are not consistent across media modalities, nor do they operate evenly across left and right-leaning audiences. On balance, levels of variance explained in our model approximate those uncovered in S-R processing work. Study results thus enhance our understanding of the relationship that exposure to news on a controversial topic—including partisan outlets—can have on voter conceptions and support for an incumbent candidate.
Key Words: Scandal, Public Perception, News Consumption, Media Coverage, Selective Exposure
JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 12, No. 1, April 2020, pp. 23-35
© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria.
About the authors
* Alyce E. Viens (M.A. Bryant University) is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut. Her primary research area is nested in mass communication and media effects. She is interested in consumption patterns and how that influences individual-level effects.
** David J. Atkin (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut. His interests include digital media policy and the adoption, uses, and effects of emerging media.
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Article Citation
Viens, A.E. & Atkin, D.J. (2020). A stormy America: Modeling selective exposure dynamics in the wake of political scandal. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 12 (1): 23 – 35.