Media Diet and Polarisation: Evidence from Spain

Abstract

Does media diet diversity influence affective polarisation of the public? To test this hypothesis we analyse data from Spain, which like other South European countries has a highly politicised media system. The study operationalises media diet diversity based on survey and web-tracking data. It considers diversity both in terms of the quantity of media consumed and exposure to opposing viewpoints using the two politico-ideological dimensions that conventionally define Spanish politics: left–right and centre–periphery. The results are rather complex and show certain ambivalence. As expected, a more diverse media diet generally tends to depolarise individuals; however, when considering the centre-periphery dimension, we find that media diet diversity can further exacerbate polarisation. That highlights the role identities can play as a potential source of polarisation.