Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Communication, Professional
Date of Award
5-2013
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Robert Andrew Dunn
Committee Members
Stephen Marshall, Carrie Oliveira
Abstract
This study was an investigation of the effect of political advertising on readers’ perceived bias and credibility of an online news article based on participants’ political leanings. Media priming and the hostile media effect were the theoretical underpinnings. Participants were asked to read an unbiased news article placed alongside 3 advertisements. Participants were put into 1 of 3 conditions — right-leaning advertisements, left-leaning advertisements, or neutral advertisements. They then answered questions about the perceived bias and credibility of the article and their own political affiliation. The researchers hypothesized that left-leaning individuals would perceive the article with right-leaning advertisements as biased and less credible and the opposite would be true of right-leaning individuals. Results were not consistent with hypotheses but trended in the expected directions.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Ayad, Salma M., "The Effect of Political Advertising on Perceived Bias and Credibility of Online News Stories" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1141. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1141
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Journalism Studies Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Public Relations and Advertising Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons