Bread, Butter, and Bias: How News Coverage of Egg Price and Tariffs Polarizes U.S. Democracy?

This study examines how partisan and non-partisan news outlets shape public sentiment and democratic resilience through their coverage of economic issues during President Trump’s first 100 days in office (January 20–April 30, 2025). Focusing on domestic inflation (notably egg price spikes) and international tariffs, we employ computational content analysis and statistical modeling to analyze and compare news content and audience responses from The New York Times (NYT), Newsweek (NW), and Fox News (Fox). Our findings reveal that while Fox consistently adopted a more favorable tone toward Trump’s economic policies and the NYT and NW were more critical, these tonal differences did not result in deeply entrenched affective polarization in economic coverage. However, partisan outlets fostered strong emotional alignment among their audiences, amplifying negative sentiment and emotional cohesion, especially during economic shocks and major political events. Fear appeals and anger-driven framing intensified public grievances, narrowed the gap between media narratives and public opinion, and reduced space for dissent. These dynamics expose how emotionally charged coverage can limit constructive deliberation and potentially polarize public opinions. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the nuanced role of media in economic policy debates and underscores the need for responsible journalistic practices to safeguard democratic deliberation.