The shadow side of empathy? Eliciting empathy in journalism and its potentially unintended side-effects on polarization

Hannah Greber, Jesper Strömbäck, Sophie Lecheler, Communication Science Department, Postdoc at the University of Vienna, Media and Communication, Professor at the University of Gothenburg, Communication Science Department, Professor at the University of Vienna

Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism

Published online on June 16, 2026

Abstract

Journalism, Ahead of Print.
Journalistic reporting has increasingly adopted a more human-centered approach, often aiming to evoke empathy in the audience. This is because empathy is expected to bridge the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ thereby fostering social cohesion. However, ...