Optimal number of K clusters testing.

Where does visual media bias come from, and how is it reinforced? This study investigates the often overlooked interplay between the visual frames chosen by media outlets for politically charged news stories and how these frames are perceived by their audiences. Using computer vision tools and qualitative content analysis, we analyzed over 2,000 images from 393 media outlets on X. Our findings reveal that U.S. media outlets across the political spectrum consistently emphasize visual narratives that align with their ideological stances while minimizing opposing viewpoints. Their partisan audiences assign identity-driven interpretations to identical visuals, turning them into instruments of antagonistic narratives even without any textual or source cues. This reveals a critical implication: the perceived bias is not merely a product of the media’s framing choices, but also a reflection of how audiences project their ideological filters onto these frames. This study helps us understand how the interplay between media frame curation and partisan interpretations reinforces and perpetuates existing divides.

视觉媒体偏见源自何处，又如何得以强化？本研究聚焦于媒体机构在报道涉政新闻时所选用的视觉框架，以及此类框架受受众认知的交互影响——这一交互关系此前常被忽视。本研究借助计算机视觉（Computer Vision）工具与定性内容分析（Qualitative Content Analysis）方法，对X平台上393家媒体机构发布的逾2000张图片展开分析。研究结果显示，美国各政治立场阵营的媒体机构均会持续强化契合自身意识形态立场的视觉叙事，同时弱化对立观点的呈现。其党派受众会针对相同视觉素材赋予身份导向的解读，即便无任何文本或信源提示，也可将此类素材转化为对立叙事的载体。本研究揭示了一项关键启示：人们所感知到的偏见，绝非仅源于媒体的框架选择，同时也映射出受众如何将自身的意识形态滤镜投射至这些框架之上。本研究有助于我们理解媒体框架策划与党派解读之间的交互作用，如何强化并延续了既有的社会分歧。