Damn Their Media, Damn the Other Side: Direct and Indirect Effects of Relative Hostile Media Perception on Affective Polarization

This study examined how relative hostile media perception (i.e. a perceived credibility gap between pro- and counter-attitudinal partisan media outlets) connects to affective polarization. Drawing on theoretical foundations of the corrective action and the self-effects of communication, we tested whether expressive political participation resulting from relative hostile media perceptions exacerbated affective polarization. Findings from a two-wave national survey indicated that relative hostile media perception predicted affective polarization, and this relationship was mediated by expressive political participation. This study supplements the traditional focus on news exposure with a perspective centered on audience perceptions about how partisan media contribute to affective polarization.