Selective Exposure to Online Foreign News during the Conflict with Iraq

TLDR

Since September 11, 2001, U.S. residents have increasingly turned to online foreign news sites, yet the prevalence and determinants of such usage remain largely unknown. This study investigates online foreign news usage among a representative sample of Internet users during the Iraq conflict. The authors generate hypotheses by contrasting domestic and foreign news perspectives through selective exposure theory and assess usage patterns in the sample.

Abstract

Several observers note that particularly since September 11, 2001, U.S. residents increasingly have used online foreign news sites.Yet currently little is known about the prevalence or determinants of online foreign news usage. This study examines the online foreign news usage of a representative sample of Internet users during the conflict with Iraq. The results indicate that approximately one-fourth of Internet news consumers use foreign sites. Also, by considering the differences in perspective between mainstream domestic news and foreign news and using the notion of selective exposure, the authors generate hypotheses regarding foreign online news usage. After controlling for other theoretically relevant factors, they find that those most opposed to the Bush administration possess the greatest likelihood of supplementing their domestic online news with an online foreign source.