Examining the Role of Political Party Predispositions and Polarized Media on Network Agenda Setting: The Case of Syrian Refugees in Turkiye

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the media and the public network agendas concerning Syrian refugees in Turkiye as an exemplar of a polarized media system within the context of a competitive authoritarian regime to gain insight into the cognitive effects of media in such a context internationally. Large-scale media and nationally representative mind-mapping survey data analysis show that the media's network agenda is only significantly transferred to the pro-government individuals while no significant effect was found on pro-opposition individuals from any media outlet regardless of their political stances. Implications are discussed.