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Persuadable perceptions: the effect of media content on beliefs about corruption

Author

Listed:
  • Lucia Rizzica
  • Marco Tonello

Abstract

SUMMARYWe study the impact of news content on individuals’ perceptions about corruption. To this purpose, we combine individuals’ beliefs about the likelihood that corruption events may occur in everyday life, as obtained from questions introduced in a large household survey, with their as-good-as-random exposure to corruption-related news on the date of the interview. Results show that a 1 SD increase in the number of corruption news items raises corruption perceptions by 3.5%. Consistently with a mechanism of persuasion, perceptions respond mainly to news not related to specific corruption events rather than to those reporting on arrests, investigations or convictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucia Rizzica & Marco Tonello, 2020. "Persuadable perceptions: the effect of media content on beliefs about corruption," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 35(104), pages 679-737.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:ecpoli:v:35:y:2020:i:104:p:679-737.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/epolic/eiaa026
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    Cited by:

    1. Giorgio Gulino & Federico Masera, 2023. "Contagious Dishonesty: Corruption Scandals and Supermarket Theft," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(4), pages 218-251, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    L82; D73; D83; K42;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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