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Talking in a language that everyone can understand? Clarity of speeches by the ECB Executive Board

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  • Glas, Alexander
  • Müller, Lena

Abstract

We use data on speeches held by members of the European Central Bank's (ECB) Executive Board to analyze whether clarity of central bank communication has increased over time. Employing readability measures as proxy variables, we find that clarity of information provision is trending upward since the inception of the ECB. The increase is gradual, rather than being induced by changes in the board composition or major macroeconomic events. Clarity is higher for speeches aimed at general audiences and for speeches by female speakers. We also show that media sentiment about the ECB is negatively related to complexity.

Suggested Citation

  • Glas, Alexander & Müller, Lena, 2023. "Talking in a language that everyone can understand? Clarity of speeches by the ECB Executive Board," ZEW Discussion Papers 23-073, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:zewdip:283611
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Central Bank Communication; Monetary Policy Transparency; Clarity; Readability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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