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Saved by the news? COVID-19 in German news and its relationship with regional mobility behavior

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  • Burcu Ozgun
  • Tom Broekel

Abstract

There are substantial differences across regions regarding COVID-19 infections and deaths, which are partly explained by differences in practicing social distancing. In this paper, we argue that the portrayal of COVID-19 in regional media might be an important factor in explaining regional differences in social distancing. By using mobility as a proxy, and analyzing data on regional news coverage in Germany, we empirically investigate whether the geographical heterogeneity in COVID-19-related news reporting has translated into spatial variations in social distancing. Our results confirm that the frequency of and the element of fear in COVID-19 news has a significant albeit time-varying relationship with social distancing.

Suggested Citation

  • Burcu Ozgun & Tom Broekel, 2022. "Saved by the news? COVID-19 in German news and its relationship with regional mobility behavior," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2224, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Oct 2022.
    • Handle: RePEc:egu:wpaper:2224
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID–19; coronavirus; news media; mobility; regional analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media

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