Two surveys investigated whether the exposure to COVID-19 news widens (polarization) or narrows (mainstreaming) the partisan gap in perceived seriousness of the pandemic, and how the perception affects individuals' susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation that either exaggerates or downplays its health risks. Overall exposure to COVID-19 news homogenized the partisans' otherwise divergent risk perceptions, but the partisan divide was wider among those selectively approaching like-minded news outlets. Perceived seriousness of COVID-19 subsequently altered participants' susceptibility to either fear-arousing or fear-suppressing COVID-19 misinformation in a belief-confirming manner. It is discussed how news media shape the public's reality perception amid the global crisis.

中文翻译：

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两极分化还是主流化？COVID-19 新闻曝光如何影响人们对疫情严重性的认知以及对 COVID-19 错误信息的敏感性？

两项调查调查了接触 COVID-19 新闻是否会扩大（两极分化）或缩小（主流化）对大流行严重性认知的党派差距，以及这种看法如何影响个人对夸大或淡化其健康状况的 COVID-19 错误信息的敏感性风险。总体而言，对 COVID-19 新闻的接触使各党派原本不同的风险认知变得同质化，但在那些有选择地接触志同道合的新闻媒体的人中，党派分歧更大。随后，参与者对 COVID-19 严重性的认知以一种信念确认的方式改变了他们对引起恐惧或抑制恐惧的 COVID-19 错误信息的敏感性。讨论了新闻媒体如何在全球危机中塑造公众的现实认知。