Digital Media Bias as a Polarizing Factor Within American Society in the Context of Assassination Attempts on D. Trump in 2024

Abstract

In this paper, the authors continue to examine the phenomenon of media bias in American digital media, focusing on the aggravation of the political crisis caused by two assassination attempts on Republican candidate Donald Trump during the election campaign. The use of an original methodology, including automated collection and analysis of a text array (1000 publications from 20 leading digital platforms), made it possible to identify key trends in the formation of the information agenda in the period from July 13 to September 22, 2024. The results of the study indicate a deep institutionalization of ideological positions in the digital media space. Left-wing and moderate-left digital publications, despite the extraordinary nature of the events, continued the practice of personalized criticism, focusing on the political and psychological profile of D. Trump and the shortcomings of his political campaign, rather than on the analysis of the crisis situation caused by the aforementioned extraordinary events. This approach highlights the fundamental change in the nature of modern media, which increasingly act not as neutral information channels but as active participants in the political process with a clearly expressed ideological program. Right-wing and moderate-right digital publications demonstrated a more complex model of coverage, combining criticism of state institutions with support for various aspects of D. Trump's political activities. However, the limited audience reach of these publications significantly reduces their potential in shaping public opinion and mitigating polarization. Of particular interest are the data on centrist digital platforms, which, during the crisis, temporarily moved away from the previously observed left-liberal drift. Nevertheless, the analysis of the tonality of publications revealed the persistence of certain biases, which raises the question of the real possibility of achieving political neutrality in the modern media environment. The study makes a significant contribution to understanding the mechanisms of media polarization, demonstrating that even in conditions of acute political crisis, digital media remain an important factor in deepening social divisions, rather than an instrument of consolidation. The results obtained are important for the development of new approaches to regulating the media space and creating a more balanced information ecosystem.