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Neutral Media? Evidence of Media Bias and its Economic Impact

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  • Killian J. McCarthy
  • Wilfred Dolfsma

Abstract

Three major surveys of professional journalists, in 1976, 1986, and 1996, suggest that the vast majority consider themselves to be neutral, objective, and balanced observers, whose role is merely to provide information. But how neutral is the media, in terms of its orientation and effects on the behavior of the markets? In this paper, we unite a number of literatures to suggest that by choosing what event to report, how much and how frequent to report an event, and by choosing what descriptive tone to adopt in their coverage, the media has a non-neutral impact on the economy. We report evidence to suggest that: (1) the media helps set the public agenda, by promoting certain events and causes, for better or for worse; (2) the media influence the public's perception of risk, by disproportionately sensationalizing risk and by emphasizing probable negative consequences over probably positive ones; (3) the media influences elections and their outcomes; (4) the media influences the public's perception of the manager, the reputation of the firm, and the goods that the firm produces; (5) the media shapes consumer sentiment and the consumers' willingness to spend; and (6) the media shapes business sentiment and influences both firm- and market-level behavior. In doing so, we demonstrate conclusively that the media is not neutral: the media alters the public's perception of reality. In other words, we suggest not only that the media reports the news, but also shapes the world in which we live.

Suggested Citation

  • Killian J. McCarthy & Wilfred Dolfsma, 2014. "Neutral Media? Evidence of Media Bias and its Economic Impact," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 72(1), pages 42-54, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rsocec:v:72:y:2014:i:1:p:42-54
    DOI: 10.1080/00346764.2013.806110
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gabaix, Xavier & Laibson, David Isaac & Moloche, Guillermo & Stephen, Weinberg, 2003. "The allocation of attention: theory and evidence," MPRA Paper 47339, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Benhabib, Jess & Farmer, Roger E.A., 1999. "Indeterminacy and sunspots in macroeconomics," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 6, pages 387-448, Elsevier.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Rick H L Aalbers & Killian McCarthy & Menno Huisman & Jonas Roettger, 2021. "Moving motives: How past and present strategy influence the market," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Kristoffer Persson, 2020. "Economic Reality, Economic Media and Individuals' Expectations," Papers 2007.13823, arXiv.org.
    4. Jeffrey Cohen & Yuan Ding & Cédric Lesage & Hervé Stolowy, 2017. "Media Bias and the Persistence of the Expectation Gap: An Analysis of Press Articles on Corporate Fraud," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(3), pages 637-659, September.
    5. Jing Zhou & Silin Ye & Wei Lan & Yunwen Jiang, 2021. "The effect of social media on corporate violations: Evidence from Weibo posts in China," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 21(3), pages 966-988, September.
    6. Beibei Hu & Qiao Luan & Xue Meng & Kai Wang, 2023. "Media Inclination and Outward Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from Chinese Firms," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 31(6), pages 134-155, November.
    7. Ijeoma D. Ajaero & Nnanyelugo M. Okoro & Chukwuedozie K. Ajaero, 2016. "Perception of and Attitude Toward Mass Media Reportage of the 2012 Flood in Rural Nigeria," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(3), pages 21582440166, September.

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