Examining the Hostile Media Effect as an Intergroup Phenomenon: The Role of Ingroup Identification and Status

Abstract

The present approach conceptualizes the hostile media effect as an intergroup phenomenon. Two empirical studies, one quasi-experimental and one experimental, examine the hostile media effect in the context of the abortion debate. Both studies show that ingroup identification and group status qualify the hostile media effect. Pro-choice and pro-life group members perceived an identical newspaper article as biased against their own viewpoint only if they considered their ingroup to have a lower status in society than the outgroup. In addition, only group members with a stronger ingroup identification showed a hostile media effect, particularly because of self-investment components of ingroup identification. Taken together, the findings confirm the important influence of ingroup status and ingroup identification on the hostile media effect.