Hostile media perceptions, presumed media influence, and minority alienation: The case of Arabs in Israel

This article examines the notion that minority perceptions of the strong influence of biased media coverage may indirectly lead to increased minority alienation. This idea was tested in the context of the perceived media stigmatization of Arab citizens in Israel. Using structural equation modeling (N=251), it is demonstrated that, over and above the effects of ideological, social, and demographic variables, hostile media perceptions and the perceived influence of media coverage affected Arabs' perceived image and consequently their social alienation. Interestingly, the amount of exposure to mainstream Israeli media did not play a significant part in this process. However, exposure to Arab media significantly affected perceptions of hostile coverage.