The information economy: media usage, political networks and public opinion

Organised by

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• Department of Political and Social Sciences
• GGP: Global Governance Programme

The seminar's goal is to understand how media usage and political talking partners influence individuals’ views on the economy. Analysing data from an August 2022 YouGov survey of 2000 US residents, it is evident that individuals who consume more conservative media are more likely to view inflation and unemployment as serious problems, more likely to be pessimistic about the current state of the economy, and more likely to believe that the US is currently in a recession or will be in the future. Greater consumption of more mainstream media has the opposite effects. Similarly, it is found that political talking networks strongly shape individuals’ views, especially the partisan gap between respondents and their partners. Through two experimental treatments, the author explores how providing domestic and global context about inflation and the economy shapes opinion. The results suggest that the 'information economy' plays a crucial role in shaping attitudes about the state of the real economy.