Personalized News and Participatory Intent

Abstract

Political communication scholars have shown that nonverbal communication cues have the potential to influence political judgments. The bulk of this literature has focused on leader displays in the context of electoral politics. The study reported here aligns with that body of literature, but tests how facial displays of ordinary citizens might affect political participatory intentions among different demographic groups. The study reported here provides support for the idea that being exposed to audiovisual news that features emotional testimonies of people with firsthand experience of social issues encourages political participation. The findings from a mixed design experiment ( N = 80) examining story personalization, ideological strength, and education level offer evidence that participants from both higher and lower socioeconomic segments of society become equally motivated for political participation after viewing emotional testimony of fellow citizens. It is reasonable to start considering the potential of news that gives voice to ordinary people, showcasing their facial displays of emotion, for revitalizing the public sphere.