Going against the grain? Examining the efficacy of media literacy interventions on congenial media effects

Abstract

While people’s proclivity toward congenial partisan media has been well documented, methods of resistance are less researched. This study explores the congenial media effect, the phenomenon of our gravitation to and acceptance of like-minded media, and whether a media literacy intervention can mitigate people’s acceptance of ideologically congruent partisan media. In an online experiment (N = 199), conservatives and liberals were exposed to differing media literacy interventions, one reviewing the traits of objectivity and bias, another which combined the former with an opportunity to reflect on participants’ own political beliefs. All were then exposed to amenable partisan content on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. Results demonstrated that neither intervention affected participants’ perceptions of bias toward the material, however, liberals were more critical in their evaluations, deeming the partisan content as less credible than conservatives. Additionally, for liberals exposed to the objectivity and bias intervention, lower perceptions of credibility were seen compared to liberals who received no intervention.