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What do the papers sell?

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Abstract

We model the market for news as a two-sided market where newspapers sell news to readers who value accuracy and sell space to advertisers who value advert-receptive readers. We show that monopolistic newspapers under-report or bias news that sufficiently reduces advertiser profits. Newspaper competition generally reduces the impact of advertising. In fact, as the size of advertising grows, newspapers may paradoxically reduce advertiser bias, due to increasing competition for readers. However, advertisers can counter this effect of competition by committing to news-sensitive cut-off strategies, potentially inducing as much under-reporting as in the monopoly case.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew Ellman & Fabrizio Germano, 2004. "What do the papers sell?," Economics Working Papers 800, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Feb 2006.
    • Handle: RePEc:upf:upfgen:800
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hawkins, Scott A & Hoch, Stephen J, 1992. " Low-Involvement Learning: Memory without Evaluation," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 19(2), pages 212-225, September.
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    4. Timothy Besley & Andrea Prat, 2006. "Handcuffs for the Grabbing Hand? Media Capture and Government Accountability," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(3), pages 720-736, June.
    5. Peter M. DeMarzo & Dimitri Vayanos & Jeffrey Zwiebel, 2003. "Persuasion Bias, Social Influence, and Unidimensional Opinions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 118(3), pages 909-968.
    6. Simon P. Anderson & Stephen Coate, 2005. "Market Provision of Broadcasting: A Welfare Analysis," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 72(4), pages 947-972.
    7. GABSZEWICZ, Jean & LAUSSEL, Didier & SONNAC, Nathalie, 2002. "Attitudes toward advertising and price competition in the press industry," CORE Discussion Papers 2002026, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    8. Tim Groseclose & Jeffrey Milyo, 2005. "A Measure of Media Bias," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 120(4), pages 1191-1237.
    9. Gabszewicz, Jean J. & Laussel, Dider & Sonnac, Nathalie, 2001. "Press advertising and the ascent of the 'Pensee Unique'," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(4-6), pages 641-651, May.
    10. Jonathan Reuter & Eric Zitzewitz, 2006. "Do Ads Influence Editors? Advertising and Bias in the Financial Media," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 121(1), pages 197-227.
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    Cited by:

    1. Petrova, Maria, 2012. "Mass media and special interest groups," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 17-38.
    2. Sobbrio, Francesco, 2009. "A Citizens-Editors Model of News Media," MPRA Paper 18213, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Zilinsky, Jan, 2009. "Média, vlastníci a tlaky: súhrn poznatkov o trhu s informáciami
      [Media, owners and pressures: our understanding of the market for information]      ," MPRA Paper 13660, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Li, Ming & Tymofiy Mylovanov, 2009. "Credibility for Sale: the Effect of Disclosure on Information Acquisition and Transmission," Working Papers 09008, Concordia University, Department of Economics, revised Oct 2009.
    5. Dewenter, Ralf & Heimeshoff, Ulrich, 2011. "Media Bias and Advertising: Evidence from German Car Magazines," Annual Conference 2011 (Frankfurt, Main): The Order of the World Economy - Lessons from the Crisis 48691, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Dewenter, Ralf & Heimeshoff, Ulrich, 2012. "More ads, more revs? Is there a media bias in the likelihood to be reviewed?," DICE Discussion Papers 57, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    7. repec:cup:apsrev:v:105:y:2011:i:04:p:790-808_00 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Karen Moris, 2011. "La presse en tant que mécanisme de gouvernance disciplinaire," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 14(4), pages 21-66, December.
    9. Elena Panova, 2009. "Confirmatory News," Cahiers de recherche 0912, CIRPEE.
    10. Fabrizio Germano, 2008. "On commercial media bias," Economics Working Papers 1133, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Apr 2009.
    11. Sobbrio, Francesco, 2009. "Indirect Lobbying and Media Bias," MPRA Paper 18215, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Petrova, Maria, 2011. "Newspapers and Parties: How Advertising Revenues Created an Independent Press," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 105(04), pages 790-808, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Two-sided markets; advertising; media accuracy; media bias; media economics.;

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media

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