Does the Media Really Divide Us?

Chapter 10 explores how America's fragmented media environment contributes to affective polarization. Tracing the evolution from the televised Nixon–Kennedy debates to today's high-choice digital ecosystem, the authors show how the proliferation of partisan media and algorithmic news feeds has reshaped public opinion and intensified political hostility. Using data from the 2024 election surveys, they find that media consumption patterns matter: network television and newspapers are associated with slightly lower affective polarization, while partisan cable news, social media, and podcasts often exacerbate it (especially among Republicans). The chapter draws on experimental research to explain how “selective exposure” and “selective avoidance” reinforce partisan identity and distrust. Yet even among users of neutral media, animosity toward the opposing party remains widespread. The authors conclude that media choices amplify, but do not solely cause, the pervasive hostility that now defines America's political and psychological landscape.