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Regional News, Regional Bias? Media Influence on Administrative Decisions in Welfare Offices

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  • Rueß, Stefanie

    (University of Konstanz)

Abstract

How do media representations of immigrants affect their access to public services? Though prior research links national news reporting and administrative decisions, little is known about regional variation, an important omission because regional media produces more local news. I argue that street-level bureaucrats are embedded within a regional news environment, where reporting shapes their perception of regional immigration patterns and influences their decisions on public service allocation—a dynamic I term the regional media bias mechanism. To examine this phenomenon, I combine state-level data on benefit reduction rates in Germany’s welfare program Citizen’s Benefit with regional newspaper articles (2010-2020). Leveraging topic modeling and panel data analysis, I show that regional narratives on positive aspects of immigration are associated with more favorable administrative outcomes for immigrants, whereas frames emphasizing financial burdens correspond with stricter treatment. These results highlight the critical role of regional media in shaping policy implementation.

Suggested Citation

  • Rueß, Stefanie, 2025. "Regional News, Regional Bias? Media Influence on Administrative Decisions in Welfare Offices," SocArXiv v7x83_v1, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:v7x83_v1
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/v7x83_v1
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