When like-minded news heals: the depolarizing effect of non-election media on partisans in Taiwan

It is widely concluded that like-minded news exposure generates negative influences on democracy, specifically by increasing political polarization. This study retests this assumption by focusing on non-election periods in Taiwan. An analysis of the 2022 Taiwan Communication Survey reveals that like-minded news exposure among partisans in non-election periods is associated with reduced affective polarization, both directly and indirectly through increased societal satisfaction. Moreover, the findings suggest that personal happiness moderates this relationship, weakening the association between like-minded news exposure and affective polarization. The findings update our understanding of like-minded exposure and political polarization, highlighting the news media's role in community integration and the importance of contextualization in media research.