Ability Matters: Testing the Differential Effects of Political News and Late-Night Political Comedy on Cognitive Responses and the Role of Ability in Micro-Level Opinion Formation

Entertainment-oriented media are a staple in today's political media environment, ranging from fictional narratives to entertainment-infused news programming. Amidst the rapidly changing media environment, media producers are packaging political content in a variety of entertaining formats known to engage audiences and increase message receptivity. Although the primary goal of political entertainment media content is to entertain, some forms are developed with secondary goals aimed at influencing political attitudes and opinions. Comedian Steve Martin noted this in his recent autobiography, revealing that while performing on Saturday Night Live he intentionally used parody and satire to influence attitudes about political issues and public officials (Martin, 2007). Much of what the public consumes as popular entertainment media includes a secondary emphasis on real-world political issues, potentially influencing public opinion. As such, there is an increasing interest in how individuals cognitively process and form opinions in response to political entertainment media consumption. Here, LaMarre and Walther, to this end, examine cognitive responses to different forms of political media: Political news and late-night political comedy.