Politically Motivated Selective Exposure and Perceived Media Bias

What is it about?

If people are never exposed to media on the other side of the political spectrum, then why do so many people think media are biased? In this article, we show how selective exposure reduces perceived bias in self-selected media. However, it also increases perceived bias in "the media" in general.

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Why is it important?

It helps to explain the increasingly contentious political and media environment in the contemporary United States. Even though people are rarely exposed to media content "on the other side," they nonetheless form the overall perception that the media is biased.