State-Controlled Media and Leadership Evaluation: Experimental Study in Russia

• In Event: Poster Session: Experimental Research & Qualitative and Multi-Method Research
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Experimental Research

Abstract

Are state-controlled media persuasive and whose beliefs can they affect the most and the least? We propose a simple model, in which citizens observe messages generated by state-controlled media and simultaneously update their beliefs about the subject of the message as well as the credibility of the media outlet itself. We also present preliminary results from an online panel experiment, which tests main predictions of the model for the effects of media reporting on evaluation of the economy, leaders competence and media bias on the sample of Russian citizens. Respondents in the treatment group were exposed to excerpts from the main Russian TV channel, Channel 1, regarding the state of economy that also mentioned the president of the country respectively. The analyses show that most malleable to persuasion by biased media are individuals who a priori are skeptical about the leader’s competence and do not believe that the media are biased.

Authors

• Denis Stukal, New York University

• Georgiy Syunyaev, Columbia University

• Arturas Rozenas, New York University