How Conservative Media Influences Views on Illegal Immigration

Conservative media sources tend to amplify antiimmigrant rhetoric on their news platforms. Relying on the 2021 Chapman Survey of American Fears, I examine how conservative media sources like FOX News may influence how likely one is to fear illegal immigration in comparison to someone who watches CNN. Data is sourced from questions that ask subjects how afraid they are of illegal immigration, where they get their news from, what their racial attitudes are, and their political affiliation. The topic of illegal immigration has been studied for years, however there is not much literature published on how media consumption can directly impact one’s fears and views on public policy. The analysis of the survey responses show there is correlation between people who consume FOX News or have a fear of whites no longer being the majority, and fearing illegal immigration. My research also shows that watching CNN has no significant correlation with fearing illegal immigration. Political party identification is another significant factor in whether or not one fears of illegal immigration