This article by Polis Summer School student Hanna Darroll We now have more choice of media sources than every before, but is this abundance actually creating a more diverse political news diet

Darroll, Hanna

LSE Research Online

Bursting Clinton supporters’ bubble25/06/2017Does choice create less media diversity?blogs.lse.ac.uk /polis/2017/06/25/does-choice-create-less-media-diversity/This article by Polis Summer School student Hanna Darroll  We now have more choice of media sources than every before, but is this abundance actually creating a morediverse political news diet?As part of the Polis LSE Summer School Ros Taylor, Managing Editor of LSE’s Democratic Audit, facilitated aninsightful discussion about the dynamic relationship between the evolution of news media and the rise of digitaltechnology. What she called the “new media landscape”  has nurtured the growth of a vast selection of newssources, from mainstream news media to personal blogs and everything in between. To me  it can feel like shoppingin a vast grocery, strolling down a long aisle with thousands of products, overwhelmed and unsure of which items topurchase.With a seemingly infinite number of news sources, how doconsumers cut through the noise and find their daily briefing?The answer for many is simple: instead of reading the morningpaper, just scroll through your Facebook or Twitter newsfeed.Taylor attributes this shift in behaviour to two main factors: theincreasing distrust in the validity of mainstream news mediaand the “comfortable and cozy” nature of social medianetworks.Trends indicate that younger generations are increasinglyrelying on social media for the majority of their news. But whilethe convenience and simplicity of this method are highlyvalued, the newsfeed framework creates the illusion that oneis properly informed of all perspectives when this may not bethe case.Echo ChambersThe so-called “echo chamber” effect traps social media users into having tunnel vision by limiting their access toviewpoints which oppose or challenge their own existing ideals. Complex personalization algorithims hand-tailoreach individual’s newsfeed based on a variety of factors such as their online activity, interests, and connections.As a longtime resident of Berkeley, California, a city commonly perceived as one of the most liberal in the U.S., thisconcept resonated on a deeply personal level. On November 8th when Donald Trump was elected to be the 45thPresident, I was shocked, frustrated and confused. It didn’t make any sense; all of the signs had indicated thatHillary Clinton would be our nation’s new leader. Even prominent news outlets had confidently predicted that shewould win by a landslide.But as it turns out, I wasn’t seeing the entire picture, and social media played a large role in hiding contraryperspectives from view. I was living in a Berkeley bubble, ignorant to the fact that Trump’s campaign messages hadresonated with millions of Americans. On top of that, even my fellow Republican peers’ voices were so drowned outby the liberal media that it was easy to forget that they even existed.Unique Feeds1/2The newsfeed model is incredibly effective in luring its users to obsessively check back for updates on a constantbasis, but there is significant danger in assuming that it is the most reliable source of news. It is vital to recognizethat everyone’s newsfeed is unique and that social media is inherently designed to feature content with which youagree.The concept of the echo chamber raises complex questions regarding social media’s potential impact on politics.Should political content be regulated during election season? And if so, to what extent? What role does fake newsplay in misleading voters’ opinions about a candidate? Who, if anyone, should work to ensure that consumers breakout of their echo chambers?These questions are difficult to comprehend and even more difficult to answer, but one thing is very clear: socialmedia sites and echo chambers will continue to play a significant role in shaping both news media and politics in thefuture.This article by Polis Summer School student Hanna Darroll  Copyright © 2014 London School of Economics and Political Science2/2

Does choice create less media diversity?

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