Date of Graduation

8-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Journalism (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Journalism

Advisor/Mentor

Chung, Jee Y.

Committee Member

Hu, Sisi

Second Committee Member

Leach, Rebecca

Keywords

Democrats; Framing; Gun control; Polarization; Republicans; Selective exposure

Abstract

Gun control may be one of the most polarizing political issues facing America today. While there are many factors that contribute to gun control controversy, one may be how it is framed by news organizations. Research suggests that the emergence of partisan news media, differing levels of issue salience, and the public’s increased willingness to selectively expose could widen the gap between both Republicans and Democrats through their opinions on the issue of gun control, causing polarization. Using a survey, this study found that both Republicans and Democrats are likely to selectively expose to partisan media outlets and that a correlation exists between the consumption of partisan media outlets and the level of support for gun control. Additionally, a multiple regression found that one’s consumption of partisan media was a significant predictor of the level of support one showed for gun control. Finally, this study also found a positive correlation between higher levels of issue salience on gun control and support for gun control. Overall, this study concluded that it is likely that partisan media’s framing of gun control is a significant cause of political polarization, and further research would be useful in furthering our understanding of political polarization.

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