Replication Data for: Consuming cross-cutting media causes learning and moderates attitudes: A field experiment with Fox News viewers

Many Americans consume aligned partisan media, which scholars worry contributes to polarization. Many propose encouraging these Americans to consume cross-cutting media to moderate their attitudes. However, motivated reasoning theory posits that exposure to cross-cutting media could backfire, exacerbating polarization. Building on theories that sustained exposure to novel information can overcome motivated reasoning and that partisan sources on opposite sides cover distinct information, we argue that sustained consumption of cross-cutting media leads voters to learn uncongenial information and moderate their attitudes in covered domains. To test this argument, we used data on actual TV viewership to recruit a sample of regular Fox News viewers and incentivized a randomized treatment group to watch CNN instead for a month. Contrary to predictions from motivated reasoning, watching CNN caused substantial learning and moderated participants' attitudes in covered domains. We close by discussing challenges partisan media may pose for democracy.众多美国民众会主动选择契合自身政治立场的党派媒体（aligned partisan media），学者们担忧此类媒体会加剧政治极化。不少学者提议，应鼓励这些民众接触跨立场媒体（cross-cutting media），以缓和其政治态度。然而，动机性推理理论（motivated reasoning theory）指出，接触跨立场媒体可能适得其反，甚至会激化政治极化。 本研究基于“持续接触新颖信息可克服动机性推理”与“对立党派信源会报道差异化信息”两项理论，提出核心论点：持续消费跨立场媒体，可促使选民习得与自身立场相悖的信息，并在该媒体所报道的议题领域内调整自身的政治态度。 为验证这一论点，研究团队借助真实电视收视数据，招募了一批固定收看福克斯新闻（Fox News）的观众作为研究样本，并为其中一个随机分配的实验组提供激励，要求其连续一个月改看美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）。 研究结果与动机性推理理论的预测截然相反：收看CNN的实验组在其所接触的媒体覆盖的议题领域中，不仅实现了显著的认知提升，还使得参与者的政治态度在该领域内得到了有效缓和。 本文最后探讨了党派媒体可能给民主制度带来的多重挑战。