Sore Losers: News Frames, Policy Debates, and Emotions

Abstract

This study examined whether news framing of policy debates shapes audience members’ emotions. An experiment revolving around the issue of campaign finance reform tested the effects of conflict and substance coverage on anger and disgust among participants. Conflict coverage produced a conditional effect on these emotions, whereas substance coverage did not. Specifically, the extent to which conflict coverage provoked anger and disgust increased with prior support for the losing side of the debate (in this case, the pro-campaign finance reform side). Such effects may carry implications for political journalism and democratic politics.