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National or Local? The Demand for News in Italy during COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Stefano Castriota

    (Department of Political Sciences, University of Pisa)

  • Marco Delmastro

    (Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (Agcom))

  • Mirco Tonin

    (Faculty of Economics and Management, Free University of Bolzano‐Bozen)

Abstract

Looking at TV news viewership in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic using actual consumption data, we investigate whether demand for national and local news depends on national or local epidemiological developments, as measured by the number of new positives or the number of currently positives in any given day. Exploiting the fact that the seriousness of the pandemic displays a great deal of variation among the different regions, we find that at the regional level demand for both national news and, more surprisingly, local news responds to the national epidemiological developments rather than to the local ones. This has implications for the incentives faced by local politicians to take preventive action.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefano Castriota & Marco Delmastro & Mirco Tonin, 2020. "National or Local? The Demand for News in Italy during COVID-19," BEMPS - Bozen Economics & Management Paper Series BEMPS74, Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen.
    • Handle: RePEc:bzn:wpaper:bemps74
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nicolás Ajzenman & Tiago Cavalcanti & Daniel Da Mata, 2020. "More than Words: Leaders' Speech and Risky Behavior During a Pandemic," Department of Economics Working Papers wp_gob_2020_03, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
    2. Nicolás Ajzenman & Tiago Cavalcanti & Daniel Da Mata, 2023. "More than Words: Leaders' Speech and Risky Behavior during a Pandemic," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 351-371, August.
    3. Cavalcanti, Tiago & Ajzenman, Nicolas & da Mata, Daniel, 2020. "More than Words: Leaders’ Speech and Risky Behavior During a Pandemic," CEPR Discussion Papers 14707, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Jason Turcotte & Ashley Kirzinger & Johanna Dunaway & Kirby Goidel, 2017. "The Many Layers of Local: Proximity and Market Influence on News Coverage of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 98(3), pages 993-1009, September.
    5. MARTIN, GREGORY J. & McCRAIN, JOSHUA, 2019. "Local News and National Politics," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 113(2), pages 372-384, May.
    6. Tsutomu Watanabe & Tomoyoshi Yabu, 2020. "Japan’s Voluntary Lockdown," Working Papers on Central Bank Communication 027, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Economics.
    7. Ash, Elliott & Galletta, Sergio & Hangartner, Dominik & Margalit, Yotam & Pinna, Matteo, 2024. "The Effect of Fox News on Health Behavior during COVID-19," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(2), pages 275-284, April.
    8. Bursztyn, Leonardo & Rao, Akaash & Roth, Christopher & Yanagizawa-Drott, David, 2020. "Misinformation during a Pandemic," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1274, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    9. Francesco Drago & Tommaso Nannicini & Francesco Sobbrio, 2014. "Meet the Press: How Voters and Politicians Respond to Newspaper Entry and Exit," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 159-188, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bello, Piera & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2022. "Education and COVID-19 excess mortality," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    2. Kakizawa, Hisanobu, 2023. "The value of public service broadcasting in Japan during COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of WTP by Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    3. Bello, Piera & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2021. "Education, Information, and COVID-19 Excess Mortality," IZA Discussion Papers 14402, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    News; Local news; TV; COVID-19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media

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