(iPoster) Accountability in Darkness: The Effects of Local Media Closures on Legislators

• In Event: Poster Session: Legislative Studies & Politics in the American States
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Legislative Studies

Abstract

Do legislators become less accountable when local newspapers close? While elections are designed to hold representatives accountable, they rely on voters having access to accurate and timely information to assess their representatives’ performance. Over the past few decades, the continued decline of local media markets has threatened this electoral connection. This study leverages the precise timing of local newspaper closures from 1996 to 2023 to investigate how legislators' behavior changes when local news coverage diminishes. Specifically, it examines whether the contraction of local media markets affects legislators' ideological positions and their effort-based activities, including roll-call voting, bill sponsorship, and constituent communication. The findings underscore the critical role of the information environment in sustaining electoral accountability and highlight the broader implications of the decline in local media markets for democratic governance.

Author

• Kisoo Kim, University of Chicago