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The Effect of Media Coverage on Mass Shootings

Author

Listed:
  • Jetter, Michael

    (University of Western Australia)

  • Walker, Jay K.

    (Old Dominion University)

Abstract

Can media coverage of shooters encourage future mass shootings? We explore the link between the day-to-day prime time television news coverage of shootings on ABC World News Tonight and subsequent mass shootings in the US from January 1, 2013 to June 23, 2016. To circumvent latent endogeneity concerns, we employ an instrumental variable strategy: worldwide disaster deaths provide an exogenous variation that systematically crowds out shooting-related coverage. Our findings consistently suggest a positive and statistically significant effect of coverage on the number of subsequent shootings, lasting for 4-10 days. At its mean, news coverage is suggested to cause approximately three mass shootings in the following week, which would explain 55 percent of all mass shootings in our sample. Results are qualitatively consistent when using (i) additional keywords to capture shooting-related news coverage, (ii) alternative definitions of mass shootings, (iii) the number of injured or killed people as the dependent variable, and (iv) an alternative, longer data source for mass shootings from 2006-2016.

Suggested Citation

  • Jetter, Michael & Walker, Jay K., 2018. "The Effect of Media Coverage on Mass Shootings," IZA Discussion Papers 11900, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11900
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    Cited by:

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    2. Shelly Lundberg, 2023. "Gender Economics: Dead-Ends and New Opportunities," Research in Labor Economics, in: 50th Celebratory Volume, volume 50, pages 151-189, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    3. Rakesh Banerjee & Tushar Bharati, 2020. "Mass shootings and Infant Health in the United States," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 20-16, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    4. Brodeur, Abel & Yousaf, Hasin, 2019. "The Economics of Mass Shootings," IZA Discussion Papers 12728, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Brodeur, Abel & Yousaf, Hasin, 2022. "On the Economic Consequences of Mass Shootings," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1133, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    6. Aparicio, Juan P. & Jetter, Michael, 2022. "Captivating news: Media attention and FARC kidnappings," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 69-81.
    7. Soni, Aparna & Tekin, Erdal, 2020. "How Do Mass Shootings Affect Community Wellbeing?," IZA Discussion Papers 13879, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Abel Brodeur & Hasin Yousaf, 2025. "On the Economic Consequences of Mass Shootings," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 107(1), pages 109-124, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    instrumental variable estimation; media effects; mass shootings; contagion hypothesis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C26 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • F52 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - National Security; Economic Nationalism
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media

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