On Narrative: The Rhetorical Mechanisms of Online Polarisation

TL;DR

This paper introduces the concept of narrative polarisation, measuring how narratives in online discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict differ between groups and how comments can reduce surface-level polarisation but reveal deeper divides.

Contribution

It formalizes narrative polarisation, develops a measurement approach using large language models, and applies it to real-world online discourse to uncover layered polarization effects.

Findings

Videos show high narrative polarisation.

Comments reduce surface-level polarisation.

Deeper narrative motifs reveal persistent partisan differences.

Abstract

Polarisation research has demonstrated how people cluster in homogeneous groups with opposing opinions. However, this effect emerges not only through interaction between people, limiting communication between groups, but also between narratives, shaping opinions and partisan identities. Yet, how polarised groups collectively construct and negotiate opposing interpretations of reality, and whether narratives move between groups despite limited interactions, remains unexplored. To address this gap, we formalise the concept of narrative polarisation and demonstrate its measurement in 212 YouTube videos and 90,029 comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Based on structural narrative theory and implemented through a large language model, we extract the narrative roles assigned to central actors in two partisan information environments. We find that while videos produce highly polarised narratives, comments significantly reduce narrative polarisation, harmonising discourse on the surface level. However, on a deeper narrative level, recurring narrative motifs reveal additional differences between partisan groups.