The Demand for News: Accuracy Concerns Versus Belief Confirmation Motives

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Chopra, Felix; Haaland, Ingar; Roth, Christopher
• 署名单位: University of Cologne; University of Copenhagen; Norwegian School of Economics (NHH); University of Cologne; Centre for Economic Policy Research - UK; Max Planck Society
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueae019
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 1806-1834
• 关键词: media bias; consumption; COMPETITION; utility

摘要

We examine the relative importance of accuracy concerns and belief confirmation motives in driving the demand for news. In experiments with US voters, we first vary beliefs about whether an outlet reports the news in a right-wing biased, left-wing biased or unbiased way. We then measure demand for a newsletter covering articles from this outlet. Right-wing voters strongly reduce their demand for left-wing biased news, but not for right-wing biased news. The reverse patterns hold for left-wing voters. These results suggest a trade-off between accuracy concerns and belief confirmation motives. We quantify this trade-off using a structural model and find a similar quantitative importance of both motives.