Define American “Move Them or Lose Them” Study Finds Social Media and Streaming Service Content More Influential on Uncommitted Audiences’ Attitudes Toward Immigration Than National News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2024

Media Contact:
Ashli Urquhart
press@defineamerican.com

In Partnership with Harmony Labs, Define American Shares Field-Advancing Findings Revealing Four Audience Segments with Potential for “Movability”on Issues Concerning Immigration Policy

LOS ANGELES, CA — Today, Define American, in partnership with Harmony Labs, proudly shares widely the first installment of its Move Them or Lose Them research series, which explores the media habits of the “moveable middle”—a large, elusive portion of the population who do not have a vested interest in or committed position on immigration. 

Estimated to be approximately 30% of the U.S. voting population, the moveable middle is a key in changing culture and policy on immigration. 

Part One – Knowing The Audience is the first set of findings to be released from the field-advancing study examining the TV, movies, digital news, and social media consumed by persuadable audiences. The new in-depth analysis provides a foundation for crafting impactful, resonant narratives that drive change on a debate that has remained stagnant for more than a decade in the U.S.

Key Findings:

The research reveals that national news is less important for moveable middle audiences than it is for Base and Opposition audiences. Findings also reveal that the moveable middle largely does not rely on national news to form opinions about immigration. Instead, social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, X, TikTok, and Instagram, along with programming on streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, shape their worldviews.

The study also uncovered four audience segments with potential for movability: 

1. “Taking Responsibility” who are social rule-followers, invested in local communities and culture. 
2. “Following the Plan” who are regular church-goers, respect authority, and are driven to help others. 
3. “Doing My Own Thing” who are autonomous pleasure-seekers focused on fun, play, relaxation, and personal growth. 
4. “Getting It Done” who are DIY go-getters interested in practical solutions. This final audience segment is over 25% immigrants themselves, an enigmatic audience that lacks engagement with immigration policy despite being directly affected.

“At Define American, we believe that powerful storytelling can shift perspectives and create lasting change,” said Sarah E. Lowe, Director of Narrative Research and Evaluation. “Understanding who we are speaking to, where they spend their time, and what resonates with them is essential to building narratives that make an impact.”

“Stories have the power to shape how people see the world—and more importantly, how we see each other,” said Jose Antonio Vargas, Founder and President of Define American. “This research is a crucial step in understanding how to use narratives to build empathy, shift perspectives, and foster lasting change for immigrant communities across the country.”

Guided by the conviction that storytelling shapes the world, Define American’s award-winning research team explores the science of storytelling to better understand culture. As a media advocacy organization, Define American provides storytellers with tools and guidance for shaping stories that move impassive audiences to action. 

Define American’s research team, led by Lowe, collaborated with Harmony Labs, a media research nonprofit using science, data, and creativity to research and reshape society’s relationship with media on Part One – Knowing The Audience. One year of media consumption data was analyzed to see how this sample audience engages with media in their daily lives and to identify opportunities for media interventions. Across news, TV, film, and social media, researchers examined four core inquiries: 

• Who is the moveable, moderate middle that we are trying to reach? 
• What media content ecosystems about immigrants activate the audience? 
• How do immigrants and immigration show up in these ecosystems, and what does it say about audiences’ perceptions of immigrants? 
• How might narrative exposure affect their beliefs, values and attitudes regarding immigrants and immigration policy?

Part One – Knowing The Audience sets the stage for future installments in the Move Them or Lose Them series, where Define American will continue to explore how to craft narratives that shift perspectives on immigration. The insights gained from understanding media behaviors and values are critical to developing more effective strategies for change.

This study’s valuable insights, first previewed to key stakeholders in June, are already being utilized by leaders in the narrative research community: 

Define American presented an early look at the findings during a gathering hosted by the MacArthur Foundation, and Director of Narrative Research and Evaluation Sarah E. Lowe recently shared highlights at Welcoming America’s Welcoming Interactive conference and The Opportunity Agenda’s Narrative Research Bootcamp. Additionally, the Narrative Initiative is incorporating this research into its soon-to-be released election guide. 

Looking ahead, the findings will inform Immigrants Belong (I-Belong), an innovative capacity-building initiative that is using inoculation strategies, digital storytelling efforts and sociological research on media usage to build a better understanding of common fear-based tactics that can disrupt false and harmful immigrant narratives. Collaborative events and activation programs are facilitated by Define American with support from the Tides Foundation. 

Additionally, the findings will inform cross-cultural strategies as Lowe will present to a gathering of narrative changemakers at the Pop Culture and Social Change Retreat in the U.K., hosted by CounterpointsArts and sponsored by Unbound Philanthropy, Comic Relief, Open Society Foundations, and Dartington Trust. 

To learn more about Move Them or Lose Them: Strategies for Deepening Engagement with Moveable Audiences, please visit: defineamerican.com/research/move-them-or-lose-them. 

To learn more about Define American, please visit defineamerican.com. 

For interview opportunities, please contact Ashli Urquhart at press@defineamerican.com

###

ABOUT

About Define American

Define American empowers diverse and nuanced storytelling about immigrant experiences across mediums and industries through research, partnerships, and storyteller engagement. Founded in 2011 by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Tony-nominated producer Jose Antonio Vargas, our work is helping audiences see all immigrants with their full humanity. To learn more, visit defineamerican.com.

Harmony Labs

Harmony Labs is a media research nonprofit, using science, data, and creativity to research and reshape society’s relationship with media. For more than a decade, their work has helped storytellers and strategists, decision makers and dreamers, harness the immense power of media to shape a positive, pluralistic future. To learn more, visit harmonylabs.org.