Media Flashcards
What is Free media?
Knight
Privately owned
Competitive (no ‘true’ story, so this is closest we can get). Confirmation bias
Media autonomy influenced by?
Economic environment: Must be profitable
Pol pressure: Media licensing: Laws loosened in S Korea led to daily newspapers in Seoul from 6-17.
Indirect control: Financing leads to ‘self censorship’
State ownership of media and growth?
Correlation of state ownership with poor countries and autocratic regimes (Djankov et al 2002)
Leeson 2008: If G owns a large media share, citizens are more politically ignorant and apathetic
Policy guidelines for a free media
Coyne and Leeson 2003
Privatise all aspects of media
Open borders to investment (Eg FDI necessary for privatisation of Rzeczpospolita in Poland (Carrington and Nelson 2002) and media (check on domestic: Russia limiting this!)
Is free media sufficient?
NO
Consumer demand is critical! (Coyne and Leeson 2004)
Bulgaria as stagnant economically since fall of communism and so little interest in current affairs
Media impact on growth
C and L 2004
Hungary (1980s): New tech leads to information, which demonstrates the benefit of West, leading to a better society
Journalists as in danger?
C and L 2004
Ukraine: 80% view journalists as a dangerous occupation. Limits the ability of media to hold gov accountable
Government accountability protected from capture by what?
‘media capture’
Pluralism is effective protection against this: Bribes become impossible
Gov accountability India
Besley and Burgess 2002
Most accountable when individuals rely on state action for survival
Regional paper circulation up 1% leads to 2.4% increase in pub food distribution and 5.5% increase in calamity relief expenditure
Public choice theory
More evidence supporting it than public incentive theory
Consistent with Down (1957): MVT leads to convergence of political parties
Private ownership bad?
Murdoch’s ‘The Sun’ led to Labour’s loss of 1992 election.
Blair had to personally consult Murdoch on New Labour policy
Pluralism, not just free media is necessary!
Media access impact on growth
Olken 2009 Media access (TV channel access) leads to trust and social capital down, but didn't affect quality of local governance!
Trust and growth
Glaeser et al 2000
Trust predicts real economic activity!
Why should we be careful making conclusions?!
Fairly impossible to consider exogenous sources of media and so merely association, rather than causation!
Why do beliefs of populace matter?
Coyne and Leeson 2004
Media increases political accountability about the beliefs of the populace!
Only helps if these are growth supporting (Plato’s Republic argument)
