https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161219862988
The International Journal of Press/Politics
1–22
© The Author(s) 2019
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DOI: 10.1177/1940161219862988
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Research Article
Digital Technologies and
Selective Exposure: How
Choice and Filter Bubbles
Shape News Media Exposure
Ana S. Cardenal
1,2
, Carlos Aguilar-Paredes
3
,
Carol Galais
4
, and Mario Pérez-Montoro
3
Abstract
This paper analyzes the role of different origins to news media in selective exposure.
We rely on a unique web-tracking online dataset from Spain to identify points of
access to news outlets and study the influence of direct navigation and news-referred
platforms (i.e., from Facebook and Google) on selective exposure. We also explore
cross-level interactions between origins to news and political interest and ideology.
We find that direct navigation increases selective exposure while Google reduces it.
We also find that the relationship between origins to news and selective exposure
is strongly moderated by ideology, suggesting that search engines and social media
are not content neutral. Our findings suggest a rather complex picture regarding
selective exposure online.
Keywords
digital technologies, online selective exposure, media exposure, platforms, filter
bubbles
Exposure to news media is increasingly mediated by digital technologies. Today, online
media is the preferred news source in most advanced democracies, above TV and well
above printed media. Moreover, two-thirds (65 percent) of online media users prefer to
1
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
2
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
3
University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
4
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Corresponding Author:
Ana S. Cardenal, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Parc Mediterrani de la Tecnologia (edifici B3), Av.
Carl Friedrich Gauss 5, Castelldefels, 08860 Barcelona, Spain.
Email: acardenal@uoc.edu
862988HIJ XX X 10.1177/1940161219862988The International Journal of Press/PoliticsCardenal et al.
research-article 2019