Negativity Bias in Communication Environments. A Successful Recipe?

Abstract

Negativity has been shown to have positive effects in capturing citizens’ attention during electoral campaigns. Negative news sell more and tend to have a stronger impact on voters’ decisions. Electoral competitions have long been characterized by the presence of lies, negative depictions and attacks of opponents. The role played by the mass media and political parties does however vary over time and across countries in determining the success of negativity. The extent to which factual knowledge - comprising positive as well as negative facts – of voters and citizens more in general is affected by negativity is also variable. This panel combines studies of elite communication and voters to pin down the effects of negativity in the political arena. Contributions address variation in media landscape composition, political systems and individual level differences to explore under what conditions negativity works best.