Biased Coverage of Political Rumors: Partisan Bias in the Media’s Coverage of Political Rumors in the 2017 Presidential Election in South Korea Through Issue Filtering and Framing

Authors

  • Hoon Lee Kyung Hee University
  • Jaeyoung Hur Yonsei University
  • Jiyoung Yeon Kyung Hee University
  • Hongjin Shim Korea Information Society Development Institute

Keywords:

political rumor, partisan bias, conventional media, issue filtering, framing

Abstract

This study aims to shed light on partisan bias that may appear in conventional media’s coverage of political rumors, using the 2017 presidential election in South Korea as a context. Specifically, we strive to uncover how media’s biased coverage of political rumors is embodied in the way major news media (1) select and (2) frame news stories to damage a candidate whose partisan leaning is less compatible with their ideological tendency. In light of these goals, the results of a content analysis show that the media paid more attention to political rumors concerning a candidate with a challenging ideological stance. Further, findings document that media firms tend to frame political rumors to stress failings concerning a strength of an ideologically discrepant candidate. Essentially, the results of the current research highlight traditional media’s liabilities in biased coverage of political rumors in terms of issue filtering and framing.

Author Biographies

Hoon Lee, Kyung Hee University

Associate Professor, Ph.D, Department Media, 82-10-4227-0051

Jaeyoung Hur, Yonsei University

Assistant Professor, Ph.D, Global Leaders College, 82-10-9055-9051

Jiyoung Yeon, Kyung Hee University

Graduate student, MA, Media Department, 82-10-5107-5336

Hongjin Shim, Korea Information Society Development Institute

Research Fellow, Ph.D, Broadcasting Media Research Division, 82-10-3249-1333

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Published

2022-03-28

Issue

Section

Articles