Politicians and the News Media
How Elite Attacks Influence Perceptions of Media Bias
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12977374 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Glen Smith (0000-0002-7594-4386, Gainesville Obstetrics & Gynecology, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2010 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 319-343 |
| Publication date | 2010-06-30 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The International Journal of Press/Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1940-1612 • E-ISSN: 1040-1620 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1940161210367430 |
| OpenAlex | W2102866176 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 37 |
| References cited | 24 |
When political elites receive unfavorable news coverage, a common strategy is to attack the source. Past research suggests that attacks on the news media increase perceptions of media bias, but it remains unclear how this occurs. Using two experiments, the author examines how attacks on the news media increase perceptions of bias. For the experiments, all participants read news articles about elected officials, but some read an attack on the source. The author also manipulated the direction of the attack (liberal or conservative bias) and its placement before or after the article. The results suggest that elite attacks increase perceptions of bias in the news source, and this occurs even when the attack is read following the article. In addition, attacks were effective when they came from politicians in both parties, suggesting that Republicans and Democrats are able to influence perceptions of bias. In conclusion, the author argues that elite attacks are likely to benefit the attackers but weaken democratic accountability
Accountability · Democracy · Elite · Media bias · Media coverage · Media studies · News media · Perception · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Psychology · Social Media and Politics
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| Unique citing works | 37 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,47 |
| Citation span | 2011 - 2026 (16) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 37 |