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Demand for Online News under Government Control: Evidence from Russia

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  • Andrey Simonov
  • Justin Rao

Abstract

We examine the nature of consumer demand for government-controlled online news outlets in Russia, testing whether such demand reflects a preference for progovernment ideological coverage or other factors unrelated to outlets’ ideological positions. We detect government-sensitive topics and measure outlets’ news-reporting decisions from news article texts, and we estimate a structural model of demand for news, using detailed browsing data that traces individual-level consumption. The average consumer has a distaste for progovernment ideology but a strong, persistent taste for state-owned outlets, primarily driven by third-party referrals and nonsensitive news content. We discuss implications for online media control and media power.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrey Simonov & Justin Rao, 2022. "Demand for Online News under Government Control: Evidence from Russia," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(2), pages 259-309.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jpolec:doi:10.1086/717351
    DOI: 10.1086/717351
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    Cited by:

    1. Roth, Christopher & Chopra, Felix & Haaland, Ingar, 2022. "The Demand for News: Accuracy Concerns versus Belief Confirmation Motives," CEPR Discussion Papers 17169, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Mikhail Mamonov & Anna Pestova & Steven Ongena, 2023. "'Crime and Punishment'? How Banks Anticipate and Propagate Global Financial Sanctions," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 23-59, Swiss Finance Institute.
    3. Heng Chen & Li Han, 2022. "Do the Media Bow to Foreign Economic Powers? Evidence from a News Website Crackdown," HKUST CEP Working Papers Series 202201, HKUST Center for Economic Policy.
    4. Xiaoli Guo, 2022. "Media Trust: Official versus Commercial Outlets," Games, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, August.
    5. Mikhail Mamonov & Anna Pestova, 2023. "The Price of War: Macroeconomic and Cross-Sectional Effects of Sanctions on Russia," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp756, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    6. Matthijs R. Wildenbeest, 2022. "Online News Consumption and Limited Consideration," Working Papers 22-10, NET Institute.

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