The political economy of media production and consumption in France[L'économie politique de la production et de la consommation des médias en France]

This thesis explores the intricate connections between politics and media, focusing on media consumption, populist persuasion, media biases, and misinformation in France. The research comprises four distinct articles. The first article emphasizes the significance of media consumption in the rise of populist political parties, using a historical natural experiment in Germany to demonstrate its impact on voting decisions and the persuasive power of populist narratives, especially on social media. The second article, co-authored with Julia Cagé, Nicolas Hervé, and Camille Urvoy, investigates media biases and political representation in French media. Drawing from a vast dataset on television and radio shows spanning 20 years, it analyzes how editorial choices and political preferences of hosts shape media coverage. The third article, in collaboration with Julia Cagé and Yuchen Huang, examines the decline in charitable donations in Western countries, with a particular focus on the propensity of far-right voters to donate less. The importance of social norms in reducing charitable giving and its implications for the charitable sector are emphasized. The fourth article, co-authored with Julia Cagé, Nathan Gallo, and Emeric Henry, delves into the effects of fact-checking on the dissemination of misinformation. By collaborating with the "Agence France Presse" (AFP), the research analyzes the impact of fact-checking on information circulation and discovers unforeseen effects on the spread of misinformation due to public reactions to fact-check ratings. Collectively, the thesis provides a holistic perspective on the interplay between media, politics, populist persuasion, media biases, and misinformation, contributing valuable insights to contemporary media and political dynamics.