^aDepartment of Communication Science, University of Amsterdam, Kloveniersburgwal 48, Amsterdam 1012 CX, The Netherlands. E-mail: C.H.deVreese@uva.nl

Abstract

It is common wisdom in political communication research that the media matter for democratic processes and citizens' political attitudes. However, we have only limited knowledge about the role of the media in understanding support for European integration and virtually no knowledge about their role in relation to the emergence and consolidation of Euroscepticism. Drawing on experimental data and evidence from panel surveys in two countries, this article demonstrates how news media, by framing Euro-politics as an arena for strategically operating, self-serving politicians, can fuel public cynicism and scepticism. However, this effect is conditional upon the level of strategic news framing and in a situation with limited strategically framed news about the European Union, exposure to news reverses this process and reduces public cynicism. The article demonstrates that a spiral of media-driven Euroscepticism is neither true for all media nor for all individuals.