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By: Alexandra A Siegel, Chagai M Weiss

Abstract:

Government attacks on the press are increasingly common in polarized societies, yet their effects remain underexplored. We theorize that such attacks polarize politics by motivating journalists’ production of anti-government content, increasing partisan media consumption and evaluation, and shifting citizens’ political attitudes. We test this theory in Israel, a context marked by rising polarization and intensified attacks on the press. In Study 1, we estimate the effects of a government attack on radio hosts using an event-study design, finding suggestive evidence of an immediate but short-lived increase in anti-government content among targeted hosts. In Study 2, survey-based selection and evaluation tasks reveal that attacks on the press polarize both the consumption and evaluation of content produced by targeted journalists. In Study 3, an information experiment shows that learning about attacks on the press does not affect government supporters, but increases opposition supporters’ preferences for social distance from outpartisans and concerns about democratic backsliding, while reducing their trust in government. Our findings highlight how attacks on the press shift media production, consumption, and political attitudes, creating a potentially reinforcing cycle of polarization.