Week 7

Question 1

Functions of mass media by Harold Lasswell:

Answer 1

-Surveillance
- Transmission of social heritage
- Correlation: aligning different positions by not only portraying the diversity of opinions but also diminishing these differences to a certain extent.

Question 2

Perception of media bias affects 2 features:

Answer 2

1. The public’s trust
2. The media influence

Question 3

Hostile media effect:

Answer 3

People’s tendency to perceive neutral news as one-sided and unfair in favor of their opposing side.

Question 4

Consequences hostile media effect:

Answer 4

• Hostile media perceptions of friendly media do reinforce partisanship
• Polarization
• More opinioned news coverage

Question 5

Misinformation spread:

Answer 5

• Inadvertently
• Social media:
  –> fact checking difficulties
  –> Echo chambers and filer bubbles

Question 6

Elements of effective debunking:

Answer 6

1. Create a gap with retraction –> fill in the gap with a factual alternative
2. Avoid the familiarity backfire effect –> flag the myths, don’t repeat the myths, focus on the facts
3. Avoid the overkill backfire effect –> focus on the best arguments; keep it simple.
4. Avoid communication barriers –> Use graphs as appropriate
5. Avoid worldview backfire effect –> target the “middle majority”

Question 7

Supported cause hostile media effect:

Answer 7

Arguments are evaluated as positive or negative based on one’s own position –> strong supporters of a position tend to see mildly favorable or neutral arguments as hostile to their position, because they are not supportive enough.

Question 8

Self-identification theory

Answer 8

• People think about themselves and others in terms of their membership of certain groups.
• Perserve positive self-image