Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/104318 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2010
Series/Report no.: 
Munich Discussion Paper No. 2010-28
Publisher: 
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Volkswirtschaftliche Fakultät, München
Abstract: 
In this paper, we analyze the equilibrium amount of entertainment in news coverage of newspapers and television stations. We find that a shift in the inclination to read, expressed by a shift in the (psychological) distance costs, induces both media outlets to incorporate more entertaining elements in news coverage. The introduction of commercial television, however, which leads to a unilateral fall in the distance costs to the television broadcast, yields different results. It induces a negative effect on the profits of both media outlets, and increases price competition. Furthermore, the newspaper offers less while the television channel offers more entertainment. Overall, this leads to a marginalization of informational content, as the television channel gains market shares at the expense of the newspaper.
Subjects: 
media economics
industrial organization
media bias
horizontal product differentiation
duopoly
JEL: 
D72
L13
L82
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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