The real reason for media bias

 

Consumers are increasingly able to curate the news content they receive, placing a new importance on the political slant of media outlets. In this video, Chicago Booth's Matthew Gentzkow discusses what really determines media bias, and how this bias might impact the way public opinions diverge. 0:00 Intro: two competing theories of media bias 0:30 Theory 1: bias driven by owners/editors' politics 0:45 Theory 2: bias driven by profit and audience demand 0:57 How researchers measured political slant using the Congressional Record 3:15 Why big outlets tend to converge toward the middle 4:25 The tug-of-war between political influence and market incentives FAQ: Q: What really drives media bias, according to this research? A: Evidence points more toward profit incentives — outlets slant coverage toward what their audience wants to read — than toward the personal politics of owners or editors. Q: How did researchers measure political slant? A: They analyzed the Congressional Record for phrases used more by Democratic vs. Republican speakers, then measured how often newspapers used similar language.