Social Media Cues Sway TV Viewer Preferences

Study finds racial identity and political party influence what shows people intend to watch

Mar. 11, 2026 at 6:12am

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A recent study suggests that social media users are more likely to watch TV programs that are endorsed by members of their own political party. The study also found that individuals' racial identity and perceptions of racial and political ingroup norms and the demographics of a program's intended audience play a role in their viewing decisions.

Why it matters

This research highlights how social media and partisan affiliations can shape media consumption habits, with potential implications for the diversity of entertainment content that people are exposed to. It suggests that political polarization may be extending into people's entertainment choices.

The details

The study, conducted by a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, surveyed 1,259 Black and white Republicans and Democrats. Participants were shown tweets endorsing a fictitious TV program, with the race and political party of the endorsers varied. The researchers found that white Republicans reported the weakest intentions to watch the program regardless of who endorsed it, while Black Republicans reported the strongest intentions. The effect of endorsements from people of the same political party was stronger for white participants overall.

  • The study was published in the journal Human Communication Research in 2026.

The players

Stewart Coles

A professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who conducted the study.

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What they’re saying

“Although prior studies found that Republicans have a more limited media and popular culture diet, the current study's results suggest that these narrower preferences may be specific to white Republicans rather than generalizable to the entire party.”

— Stewart Coles, Professor of communication

The takeaway

This study highlights how social media and partisan affiliations can shape media consumption habits, with potential implications for the diversity of entertainment content that people are exposed to. It suggests that political polarization may be extending into people's entertainment choices, with white Republicans in particular showing more limited preferences.