Analyzing change in network polarization

an article by Michael Wayne Kearney (University of Missouri, USA) published in New Media & Society Volume 21 Issue 6 (June 2019)

Abstract

The growing influence of social media in an era of media fragmentation has amplified concerns of political polarization. Yet relatively few studies have analyzed polarization in user networks over time.

This study therefore examines change in network polarization on Twitter during a highly contested general election.

Using Twitter’s REST API, user networks of 3000 randomly selected followers of well-known partisan and entertainment-oriented accounts were recorded 17 times in the 7 months leading up to the 2016 general election.

Results suggest that partisan users form highly partisan networks on Twitter, while moderate, or less engaged, users continue to mostly avoid politics.

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Reinforcing spirals at work? Mutual influences between selective news exposure and ideological leaning

an article by Peter M Dahlgren, Adam Shehata and Jesper Strömbäck (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) published in European Journal of Communication Volume 34 Issue 2 (April 2019)

Abstract

The growth of partisan news sources has raised concerns that people will increasingly select attitude-consistent information, which might lead to increasing political polarization. Thus far, there is limited research on the long-term mutual influences between selective exposure and political attitudes.

To remedy this, this study investigates the reciprocal influences between selective exposure and political attitudes over several years, using a three-wave panel survey conducted in Sweden during 2014–2016. More specifically, we analyse how ideological selective exposure to both traditional and online news media influences citizens’ ideological leaning.

Findings suggest that

1. people seek-out ideologically consistent print news and online news and
2. such attitude-consistent news exposure reinforces citizens’ ideological leaning over time.
   In practice, however, such reinforcement effects are hampered by
3. relatively low overall ideological selective exposure and a
4. significant degree of cross-cutting news exposure online.

These findings are discussed in light of selective exposure theory and the reinforcing spirals model.

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