The Crooked Pictures in Our Heads: Partisan Cable Coverage of Congress

Adam J. Schiffer

Social Science Quarterly, 2026, vol. 107, issue 2

Abstract: Objectives Partisan cable networks such as Fox News and MSNBC have the potential to polarize their audiences through a wide array of coverage choices. This study examines one of them: the choice of which members of the US House of Representatives to cover on each network. Two questions are answered: (1) How do the networks portray the composition of each party, compared to their actual compositions, along several politically important dimensions? (2) Which members receive more coverage on their aligned network than on the opposition network, and vice‐versa? Methods Using an original content analysis of Fox and MSNBC mentions of every US House member from 2019 to 2022, statistical analysis is used to model the factors that predict being mentioned on a network. Results Both networks greatly distort the composition of both parties. The distortion is usually in a similar direction for each party, but of a greater magnitude for the network's opposition party. The biggest distortion is that coverage goes overwhelmingly to members with heavy social media engagement. Conclusions The show horses of Congress outshine the workhorses on partisan cable news, in a manner that may contribute to affective polarization.

Date: 2026
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