Alternative News, Alternative Views? How Populist Alternative News Consumption Contributes to Political Attitudes During the 2021 Federal Election in Germany

Abstract

While recent work has studied the determinants of alternative news consumption, we know little about how alternative news exposure does, consequently, shape individuals’ political views. We tackle this question using three waves of panel survey data combined with detailed records of respondents’ online behavior collected in Germany during the 2021 federal election (2,112 participants). Focusing on a variety of key variables such as political, and media trust, populist attitudes, attitudes towards democracy and towards two salient political issues (immigration and climate change), we explore whether exposure to populist alternative news websites influences individuals’ self-reported political attitudes using within-between longitudinal regression models. Results indicate that changes in populist alternative news media consumption over time led to attitudinal change only for some variables (i.e., satisfaction with democracy and importance of environmental protection). Irrespective of longitudinal trajectories, we find that those who consume more alternative news have lower media and political trust, exhibit higher populist attitudes, sympathy to right-wing populist AfD party, and climate-skeptical issue positions. We interpret this as evidence that short-term media effects of alternative news consumption on individuals’ attitudes are limited. Yet, alternative news use is clearly associated with right-wing populist attitudes. We conclude that (1) the influence of alternative news media consumption may operate in the long run or (2) people with a specific set of attitudes might self-select into alternative news media consumption which could, then, contribute to the maintenance of their political convictions over time.