Consuming cross-cutting media causes learning and moderates attitudes: A field experiment with Fox News viewers

Many Americans consume aligned partisan media, which scholars worry contributes to polarization. Many propose encouraging these Americans to consume cross-cutting media to moderate their attitudes. However, motivated reasoning theory posits that exposure to cross- cutting media could backfire, exacerbating polarization. Building on theories that sustained exposure to novel information can overcome motivated reasoning and that partisan sources on opposite sides cover distinct information, we argue that sustained consumption of cross- cutting media leads voters to learn uncongenial information and moderate their attitudes in covered domains. To test this argument, we used data on actual TV viewership to recruit a sample of regular Fox News viewers and incentivized a randomized treatment group to watch CNN instead for a month. Contrary to predictions from motivated reasoning, watching CNN caused substantial learning and moderated participants’ attitudes in covered domains. We close by discussing challenges partisan media may pose for democracy.