Media Bias and Public Opinion

Abstract

This research focuses specifically on media outlets that are considered to be biased and partisan such as Fox News and MSNBC. Understanding how media might affect public opinion is important because it helps us understand how political opinions are formed. With the increasing amount of biased media, especially since around the time of the 2016 presidential campaign, individuals are subject to being persuaded by the media they consume. This research examines these questions because those with strong party identities are less likely to be persuaded by the media. Conversely, those with weaker party attachments might be more easily persuaded. Results show that there are significant relationships between viewing partisan media and that influencing the opinion of presidential candidates. There is not a significant relationship between opinions of presidential candidates and then selecting partisan media