Work

Amplified News Framing of Social Disturbance and Its Impact on Authoritarian Attitudes: An Experimental Study of Main Effects and Activation of Predispositions

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The emergence of authoritarian attitudes within contemporary democracy puzzles researchers. Under what circumstances do people develop authoritarian attitudes? Research suggests that circumstances of social disturbance have strong impact. There is evidence that predispositions for authoritarianism are activated under such circumstances. In this research, the role of the news media is generally ignored. This article contributes by presenting a theoretically grounded experimental study addressing hypotheses of news framing effects on authoritarian attitudes. Two panel experiments, on news about disturbance in school and public libraries, provide evidence of main effects of amplified framings of social disturbance, as well as an activation mechanism.

Source: Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly

DOI: 10.1177/10776990241284797

Authors: Mats Ekström, Adam Shehata

Institution: University of Gothenburg

Language: English

Topic: Media Studies and Communication

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,700