News language and social networks: how do they affect the spread of immigration attitudes?

A study in Economic Inquiry reveals how changes in immigration attitudes in an area spread to other localities and highlights the role of media language and social networks in shaping political attitudes.

The work draws on the Associates Press’ switch in 2013 from recommending the term “illegal immigrant” to outright banning it. The Associated Press is a collaboration of thousands of newspapers, and the ban was not politically motivated but instead came as part of a broader language policy change that prohibited labeling people.

Different newspapers across the United States rely on Associated Press material to varying degrees, and researchers found that people living in areas socially connected via Facebook to those most affected by the ban held less restrictive immigration policy preferences.

The results highlight the role of media language and social networks in shaping political attitudes.

“The study findings indicate that media language influences immigration attitudes beyond direct exposure, extending to individuals’ social networks,” said corresponding author Oleg Firsin, PhD, of the University of Maryland.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ecin.70042

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