Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP8246
Authors: Andrea Prat; David Strömberg
Abstract: We review the burgeoning political economy literature on the influence of mass media on politics and policy. This survey, which covers both theory and empirics, is organized along four main themes: transparency, capture, informative coverage, and ideological bias. We distill some general lessons and identify some open questions.
Keywords: mass media; political economy
JEL Codes: D7
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| media capture (L96) | poorer political outcomes (D72) |
| media pluralism (L32) | enhances likelihood that voters receive accurate information (K16) |
| ideological bias of media (P16) | distorts political accountability (D72) |
| ideological bias of media (P16) | impacts voter perceptions and policy responses (D72) |
| higher newspaper circulation (A14) | increased government spending on relief during crises (H12) |
| increased media coverage (L82) | greater political accountability (H19) |
| greater political accountability (H19) | voters become better informed (K16) |
| voters become better informed (K16) | hold politicians accountable (D72) |
| hold politicians accountable (D72) | replace ineffective politicians with challengers (D72) |
| replace ineffective politicians with challengers (D72) | increasing turnover and improving welfare (J63) |