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Media Reporting on International Affairs

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew C Shaver

    (University of California, Merced)

  • Leonardo Dantas

    (UCLA)

  • Amarpreet Kaur

    (University of California, Merced)

  • Robert Kraemer

    (University of California, Santa Barbara)

  • Grady Thomson

    (University of California, Merced)

Abstract

We consider how the U.S. news media reports on international affairs. Analyzing approximately 40 million news articles published between 2010 and 2020, we explore whether the American news media report differently on various international affairs topics based on partisan leanings. We then analyze approximately 25 million articles published by top online news sites to determine whether collective reporting shows disparities between the level of attention afforded major global issues and objective measures of their human costs (e.g. numbers of individuals killed). We find that left-and right-leaning news outlets tend to report on international affairs at similar rates but differ significantly in their likelihood of referencing particular issues. We find further strong evidence that the frequency of reporting on the international issues we study tracks only modestly with their associated human costs. Given evidence U.S. public and policymakers dependence on news reports for foreign affairs information, our findings raise fundamental questions about the influence of these reporting biases.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew C Shaver & Leonardo Dantas & Amarpreet Kaur & Robert Kraemer & Grady Thomson, 2021. "Media Reporting on International Affairs," Empirical Studies of Conflict Project (ESOC) Working Papers 27, Empirical Studies of Conflict Project.
    • Handle: RePEc:pri:esocpu:27
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    File URL: https://esoc.princeton.edu/WP27
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    News Media; International Affairs; Reporting Bias;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F50 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - General
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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