Bridging Gaps in Cross-Cutting Media Exposure: The Role of Public Service Broadcasting

TLDR

Previous studies show that individual political interest predicts exposure to differing news views, and that broadcast media ownership varies across countries. This study investigates how the dominance of public service broadcasting modifies the link between political interest and cross‑cutting news exposure across 27 EU countries. The authors analyze survey data from 27,079 respondents and 48,983 news stories. Results show that stronger public service broadcasting reduces the influence of political interest on cross‑cutting exposure, narrowing gaps between highly and less politically engaged individuals.

Abstract

Previous studies show that individual political interest is an antecedent of news media exposure, particularly of exposure to differing views. Nevertheless, little is known about this effect from a comparative perspective: How do media institutions affect the relationship between political interest and exposure to cross-cutting viewpoints? One institutional feature that varies between countries is the ownership of broadcast media. This study investigates the extent to which the relative dominance of public service broadcasting alters the relationship between political interest and non-like-minded, or cross-cutting, news media exposure across 27 European Union countries. The analyses employ survey data from 27,079 individuals and media content from 48,983 news stories. The results confirm that the extent to which political interest contributes to cross-cutting exposure is contingent on the strength of public service broadcasting. The stronger the broadcaster, the smaller the gaps between the most and least politically engaged individuals.