No Escape From the Media Gates? How Public Support and Issue Salience Shape Interest Groups' Media Prominence.

This article examines how public support and issue salience influence the media prominence of interest groups, based on an analysis of 196 positions by 68 Belgian groups across 56 policy issues. Contrary to the common assumption that groups defending unpopular positions avoid media attention, the study finds that on highly salient ("noisy politics") issues, some groups with unpopular stances gain substantial media prominence, often due to reactive media advocacy aimed at countering adversaries and maintaining ties with their constituencies. The findings highlight a dual dynamic where public support encourages proactive media engagement (push), while issue salience exerts a pull effect by drawing groups into news coverage regardless of their popularity, influenced also by journalistic selection practices and organizational status. The study underscores that media prominence is unevenly distributed, shaped by both organizational resources and the political context of issues, and suggests that news media provide a platform for diverse viewpoints, including those opposing prevailing public opinion.