Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/330249 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
ECONtribute Discussion Paper No. 372
Publisher: 
University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Reinhard Selten Institute (RSI), Bonn and Cologne
Abstract: 
News outlets compete for engagement rather than reader satisfaction, leading to persistent mismatches between consumer demand and the supply of news. We test whether offering people the opportunity to customize the news can address this mismatch by unbundling presentation from coverage. In our AI-powered news app, users can customize article characteristics, such as the complexity of the writing or the extent of opinion, while holding the underlying news event constant. Using rich news consumption data from large-scale field experiments, we uncover substantial heterogeneity in news preferences. While a significant fraction of users demand politically aligned news, the vast majority of users display a high and persistent demand for less opinionated and more fact-driven news. Customization also leads to a better match between the news consumed and stated preferences, increasing news satisfaction.
Subjects: 
News Consumption
Customization
Artificial Intelligence
Matching
JEL: 
C93
D83
L82
P00
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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