UW-Madison study: Partisan news sours consumers on political compromise 

Right-leaning media users are less likely to support political compromise, a new study suggests. And in general, partisan media consumers tend to see political disagreements as right or wrong.

By Annie Pulley, THE BADGER PROJECT

It’s no secret that hyperpartisanship is rampant in the U.S.

About 80% of Americans believe Republican and Democratic voters disagree on the basic facts, a survey from The Pew Research Center found. And a recent analysis from Gallup shows that the proportion of Republicans who identify as “very conservative” and the number of Democrats who identify as “very liberal” is reaching new highs. 

A new study from UW-Madison gives us some hints as to why the country is so polarized. 

The August study from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication examines how using partisan news media affects an individual’s willingness to support lawmakers who reach across the aisle. 

“Compromise is essential to the maintenance of civil society,” the study reads. In recent years, more Americans view their political opposites with “antipathy” and display an “unwillingness to meaningfully engage with the other side.” The trend “raises concerns about political dysfunction and the erosion of civic culture.” 

Compromise is especially important in the U.S, said Yoo Ji Suh, the lead author of the study and a PhD candidate at the journalism school. 

In the U.S., the two-party system puts a premium on compromise, she said. 

Whereas the parliamentary systems of northern Europe require small parties to collaborate if they want to succeed, the two major parties in the U.S. can opt not to work together. But the result is political gridlock.

American politicians who compromise are typically less popular and often perceived as weak by voters, especially those who vote in partisan primary elections, Suh said. To secure reelection, politicians respond by showing their base they won’t compromise on principles, she added.

The study, also authored by journalism school professors Dhavan Shah and Michael Wagner, is based on survey data collected by UW-Madison’s Center for Communication & Civic Renewal. One group of respondents was surveyed before and after the 2020 presidential election and another group before and after the 2022 midterm elections.

Respondents were asked about their news diet, policy opinions and their support for lawmakers who choose to compromise. Controlling for all other variables, the study tested how the increase in their use of partisan media during the election period affected their attitude toward political compromise. 

Among the most significant findings was that an increase in the use of right-leaning media predicted a decrease in an individual’s support for political compromise. 

“Right-leaning media use spurred opposition to politicians who strive for deliberative solutions, supporting previous findings that demonstrated right-leaning sources instigate outrage or condemnation,” the study found. “Right-leaning media seems to have some characteristic that left-leaning media does not.”

As opposed to Democrats and Independents, Republicans are “much less likely to both use and trust news” from major news sources like CBS, CNN, NPR and The New York Times, according to a Pew Research Center study released in June. Republican-trusted sources are more concentrated and revolve around media like Fox News or The Joe Rogan Experience.  

However, the journalism school’s study found that, on average, respondents decreased their use of right-leaning media after the election, which was related to a decrease in their support for politicians who “stick to principles.”

Also examined in the study was “attitude moralization,” or the tendency to transform an amoral attitude or preference into a matter of right and wrong. 

Whereas respondents who increased their use of right-leaning media were more likely to consider issues like abortion or taxes in moral terms, respondents who consumed more left-leaning media were more likely to moralize the war in Ukraine.

“When attitudes are closely tied to one’s inner moral compass, individuals are likely to reject the value of negotiations with the other side,” the study concludes. 

But people can change their minds or choose to compromise, Suh said. In fact, another study she authored looked at how messaging techniques persuaded people to change their attitude about issues like gay marriage and military spending. 

Consuming news from an array of sources and increasing media literacy are ways to counteract some of these forces. Beyond that, Suh said, it’s important to remember what we have in common.

“But it can be really hard, especially when you’re watching media that describes the other side as being immoral or wrong,” she said. “I want to stay more hopeful because the people I interact with are just normal people, they all have their families. They all have a reason for believing in the things they do, for the policies, attitudes they hold. And if you really try to understand those individuals’ perspectives, I don’t think it has to be that way.”

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.