Have You Heard about the Terrible Economy? Media Use, Networks, & Public Opinion

• In Event: Media Effects on Public Opinion

Abstract

We seek to understand how the “information economy” in which individuals participate (their media usage and political talking partners) influences their views on the state of the “real economy” (inflation, unemployment, and recessions). Analyzing data from surveys of residents of the US and Germany, administered through YouGov in August 2022 and May 2024, we test the hypothesis that individuals who consume more conservative media are more likely to view inflation and unemployment as serious problems and more likely to be pessimistic about the current and future direction of the economy. We also test the degree to which political talking networks and partisan differences between respondents and their talking partners shape individuals’ views about these economic outcomes. Finally, through experimental treatments embedded in our surveys, we explore the degree to which providing additional domestic and global context about the state of the US/German economy shapes individuals’ views of inflation, unemployment, and recessions.

Authors

• Michael W. Wagner, University of Wisconsin, Madison

• Mark Copelovitch, University of Wisconsin, Madison