Assessing Media Polarization in Spain During a Highly Polarized Electoral Cycle (2015–2019): Increasing Effects of Vote and Ideology on News Media Consumption

Selective exposure studies rarely analyze the temporal evolution of politically oriented media preferences, and they generally overlook the role of political context. This study seeks to address that gap by focusing on Spain, which has a polarized pluralistic media system alongside a highly polarized political context. Using 4 postelectoral surveys covering a 5-year period (2015–2019), which coincides with the transformation of the Spanish party system, we analyze whether political attitudes become stronger predictors of radio, television, and newspaper consumption over time. The results indicate an intensification of selective exposure effects in radio and newspaper consumption, and, to a lesser extent, in television. Furthermore, we propose a definition of media polarization that emphasizes its longitudinal nature: as a process of intensifying political selective exposure effects within a specific media environment over time.