Ability Matters: Testing the Differential Effects of Political News and Late-Night Political Comedy on Cognitive Responses and the Role of Ability in Micro-Level Opinion Formation

Entertainment-oriented media are a staple in today’s political media environ-ment (Prior, 2007), ranging from fictional narratives (e.g., Iron Lady, Ides of March) to entertainment-infused news programming (e.g., Fox and Friends, Rock Center). Amidst the rapidly changing media environment, media produ-cers are packaging political content in a variety of entertaining formats known to engage audiences and increase message receptivity (e.g., Holbert