3rd Economics of Media Bias Workshop

The workshop at the University of Cologne provided an exploration into various aspects of media bias, including its origins, manifestations, and societal consequences.

In Session 1, researchers examined the relationship between news-gathering competition and political accountability, followed by a discussion about the role of competition for attention in the media market. Session 2 addressed multidimensional media slant, investigating complementarities in news reporting by US newspapers. The session also explored the factors driving demand for media slant, shedding light on corporate goals and audience preferences.

Session 3 focused on cross-national analysis, studying the competition and performance of media companies in 12 countries. Additionally, it addressed commercial media bias on German YouTube channels. The keynote speech by Ruben Durante explored the relationship between media attention and timing of political actions, providing evidence from the signing of presidential executive orders.

Presentations in Session 4 discussed measuring political media bias and gender inequality in new media, while Session 5 examined the market for scoops and the dynamics of intragovernmental conflict and media censorship in China. Session 6 featured research on incumbency dominance in letters to the editor and the impact of social media on echo chambers and content provision.

In his keynote, James Snyder discussed newspaper bias in historical perspective. Finally, Session 7 explored factors influencing journalists’ reporting of negative news about a brand and the role of information gatekeeping in media bias. The workshop was supported by the German Research Foundation, University of Cologne, University of Hamburg, and Hamburg Media School.