Broadcast Education Association

Ben Libon (Ph.D. student) received a $2,000 grant from the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) for a research project in collaboration with Joshau Cloudy involving rage-baiting videos and their effect on political polarization and extremism.

Abstract: The rise of social media has promoted its use as a source of political information, and the ever-changing landscape of the platforms (with the rise of TikTok and the short video format) has changed the way users consume information. This study focuses on the rise of rage-baiting videos: videos aimed at enticing outrage in viewers with the purpose of creating more engagement (comments, shares, etc.). This study aims to analyze the effect of rage-baiting political videos on users' perception of issues. As well as understand if the use of a rage-baiting messaging strategy can lead to the formation of extremist opinions. Focusing on the issue of gun control, this study uses a 2x2 factorial design and compares the effects of using a rage-baiting messaging technique compared to traditional messaging for both Democrat and Republican opinions of gun control.