Curated labels distribution in the survey wave.

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.视觉媒体偏见的源头何在，又该如何得以强化？本研究聚焦于媒体机构针对政治性新闻所选用的视觉框架，与其受众对这些框架的感知方式之间此前常被忽视的互动关系。研究借助计算机视觉工具与质性内容分析法（qualitative content analysis），对X平台上393家媒体机构发布的逾2000张图像进行了分析。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。其党派受众会对相同的视觉素材赋予身份认同导向的解读，即便不存在任何文本或来源线索，也会将这些素材转化为对立叙事的载体。这一发现揭示了一项关键内涵：人们感知到的偏见并非仅源于媒体的框架选择，同时也反映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互动，是如何强化并延续现有社会分歧的。