Navigating the Mental Health Effects of Partisan News

Love it or hate it, partisan news media represent a powerful force in society. Shaping more than just our current political arena, partisan news media has vast ripple effects across the psychological, emotional, and social spheres of our lives.

Beginning in the mid-1990s, partisan news television channels developed rapidly, growing in popularity over more traditional mainstream network news. Often catering to the viewers of a specific political and ideological belief system and hosted by rockstar-esque news anchors who can garner a cult-like following, partisan news outlets have become a shorthand language used to size up one another’s character.

The jury selection process in former president Trump’s sensationalized hush money trial is emblematic of this trend. When screening potential jurors, lawyers on both sides paid exquisite attention to questions regarding potential jurors' media consumption.

The Growing Social Impact of Partisan News Media

While the proliferation of news outlets provides more options than ever before for receiving information, the growth of partisan channels has created societal challenges:

1. Bias confirmation via news shopping. Today's news consumers can shop for the information that confirms their political point of view while avoiding information that may result in discomfort or questioning or negating their held beliefs, creating an growing sea of tribal, partisan viewership and resulting in a distinct set of informational bubbles.
2. Increased social polarization. In the past, consumers shared common news sources despite holding different beliefs. Debate and discourse were expected and common. The more people gravitate only to the outlets that echo their beliefs, the more polarized they become.
3. Cultural disconnect. Because we are perceiving reality from sometimes vastly different news sources, culture is growing fractured, and we are feeling more separate, alienated, and disconnected from one another.
4. Intensifying divisiveness. Our partisan divisions have also resulted in seeing people of other partisan inclinations as working against us, distrustful, ignorant, and even as dangerous threats. All of this can heighten feelings of hypervigilance and lead to an increase in vitriolic and violent language and acts against one another.

Mitigating the Negative Impact of Partisan Media

While it can feel disheartening to reflect on the alienation and separateness that partisan news foments, it is important to remember there are active and intentional steps we can take to mediate the negative impact it has on our emotions and on our relationships:

1. Cultivating exposure and curiosity over judgment. Take time to view “other” outlets than those you normally watch and challenge yourself to suspend judgment and instead watch and listen with curiosity. Watching different partisan news channels can help us leave our own informational bubble and expand our perspective.
2. Compassionate interviewing. Compassionate interviewing is the process of seeking to understand another’s belief system rather than trying to assert your own over theirs. Engaging in this way with people who hold entirely different beliefs that you may not agree with can create openings and invite new dialogues that can develop a more compassionate stance toward someone with opposing beliefs.
3. Resist the reflex to correct. Engaging in compassionate interviewing with those who hold different beliefs than you requires resisting the reflex to correct or “right” what you may view as “wrong” or “incorrect” thinking. Trying to convince others to change their mind rarely works and often leads to greater disconnect and tension. Instead, listen to what the base need or fear is that underlies their belief and see if there is space to empathize and commiserate. Doing so will help us to see each other’s underlying humanity.
4. Kind and respectful expression. Learning how to listen compassionately and non-judgmentally is one side of the equation. Learning how to speak and share your feelings and views in respectful and nonaccusatory or aggressive ways is vital. A soft tone of voice, kind eye gaze, and respectful intention can go a long way to being respected and listened to. Suspending the idea that “My point of view is better than yours” and acknowledging it simply as different may be a stretch, yet it is essential in order to begin to engage in more productive and growth-promoting discussions.
5. Acknowledge our shared humanity. Acknowledging that while we have political differences that can feel quite divisive and that partisan news media will hammer away at those divides, we are all greatly connected in our basic needs for safety, love, happiness, and hope. The more we can tune in to those common human needs and feelings, hopefully, the more we may be able to bridge such divides and see, ultimately, that we are all on this journey together.

We live at a time when partisan news channels have rapidly evolved, resulting in increasing polarization, cultural disconnect, and divisiveness. Some suggestions to cope with the impact of partisan news include exposing oneself to alternative and opposing news outlets, engaging in compassionate interviewing, resisting the righting reflex, expressing oneself kindly and respectfully, and acknowledging our common and shared humanity.