Citizens' political knowledge is regarded as a vital element for well-functioning democracies. Accordingly, there is a vibrant literature assessing the link between individuals' news seeking behavior and learning about public affairs. There are, however, more limited efforts devoted to clarifying how incidental news exposure may facilitate political learning. So far, inconclusive research findings have offered positive, null or even negative effects, emphasizing an urge for scholars to further explore this relationship. Drawing upon U.S. representative survey data, this study seeks to explicate and further advance the (paradoxical) paths that connect citizens' incidental news exposure and political knowledge, both directly and indirectly. Our analysis first shows either null or mild negative direct associations between incidental news exposure and political knowledge. However, relying on a two serial mediators’ model, when citizens thoroughly engage with and cognitively elaborate on the information they unintentionally stumble upon, incidental news exposure is associated with positive mediated effects on political learning. This study provides evidence for a better understanding over the potential direct and indirect mechanisms that both facilitate and hinder political knowledge acquisition through inadvertent news consumption.

公民的政治知识被认为是运作良好的民主国家的重要要素。因此，有大量的文献评估了个人的新闻寻求行为和对公共事务的了解之间的联系。但是，在澄清偶然新闻曝光如何促进政治学习方面投入的精力有限。到目前为止，尚无定论的研究结果提供了积极，无效甚至是消极的影响，强调了促使学者进一步探索这种关系的冲动。这项研究利用美国代表性的调查数据，试图阐明和进一步发展将公民的偶然新闻曝光与政治知识直接或间接联系起来的（悖论）途径。我们的分析首先显示了偶然新闻曝光和政治知识之间的零或轻微的负直接联系。但是，依靠两个连续的调解员模型，当公民彻底地与他们无意间偶然接触到的信息互动并在认知上阐述了这些信息时，偶然的新闻曝光与对政治学习的积极中介作用相关。这项研究为更好地理解潜在的直接和间接机制提供了证据，这些机制既可以通过无意中的新闻消费来促进和阻碍政治知识的获取。偶然的新闻曝光与对政治学习的积极中介作用有关。这项研究为更好地理解潜在的直接和间接机制提供了证据，这些机制既可以通过无意中的新闻消费来促进和阻碍政治知识的获取。偶然的新闻曝光与对政治学习的积极中介作用有关。这项研究为更好地理解潜在的直接和间接机制提供了证据，这些机制既可以通过无意中的新闻消费来促进和阻碍政治知识的获取。