Rights statement: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Lanning, K, Wetherell, G, Warfel, EA, Boyd, RL. Changing channels? A comparison of fox and MSNBC in 2012, 2016, and 2020. Anal Soc Issues Public Policy. 2021; 21: 149– 174. doi: 10.1111/asap.12265. which has been published in final form at https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/asap.12265. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Changing channels?
T2 - A comparison of Fox and MSNBC in 2012, 2016, and 2020
AU - Lanning, Kevin
AU - Wetherell, Geoffrey
AU - Warfel, Evan A.
AU - Boyd, Ryan L
N1 - This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Lanning, K, Wetherell, G, Warfel, EA, Boyd, RL. Changing channels? A comparison of fox and MSNBC in 2012, 2016, and 2020. Anal Soc Issues Public Policy. 2021; 21: 149– 174. doi: 10.1111/asap.12265. which has been published in final form at https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/asap.12265. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
PY - 2021/12/31
Y1 - 2021/12/31
N2 - We compare the contents of Fox and MSNBC weekday evening telecasts using natural language analysis with the Linguistic Inventory Word Count (LIWC) and sociopolitical dictionaries tapping into moral foundations, values, grievances, and personality. Across time, the two networks differed substantially across many constructs, particularly those from the LIWC. The core of the difference between the networks was captured by a four-component measure which we labeled Personalizing vs. Formal speech. Scores on this measure were particularly volatile during 2019 and 2020, a period which included Trump’s first impeachment, the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and the 2020 presidential campaign. In comparison with prior presidential election years, only MSNBC showed a drop in positive emotions in 2020, while both networks increased in the use of communal and analytic language. Contrary to our expectations, the language style of the two networks did not demonstrate increasing divergence over time.
AB - We compare the contents of Fox and MSNBC weekday evening telecasts using natural language analysis with the Linguistic Inventory Word Count (LIWC) and sociopolitical dictionaries tapping into moral foundations, values, grievances, and personality. Across time, the two networks differed substantially across many constructs, particularly those from the LIWC. The core of the difference between the networks was captured by a four-component measure which we labeled Personalizing vs. Formal speech. Scores on this measure were particularly volatile during 2019 and 2020, a period which included Trump’s first impeachment, the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and the 2020 presidential campaign. In comparison with prior presidential election years, only MSNBC showed a drop in positive emotions in 2020, while both networks increased in the use of communal and analytic language. Contrary to our expectations, the language style of the two networks did not demonstrate increasing divergence over time.
U2 - 10.1111/asap.12265
DO - 10.1111/asap.12265
M3 - Journal article
VL - 21
SP - 149
EP - 174
JO - Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (ASAP)
JF - Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (ASAP)
SN - 1529-7489
IS - 1
ER -