Effects of Media on Voting Behaviour

There is a substantial amount of academic literature concerning electoral influence of mass media, theoretical and empirical. Significant issues arise when one attempts to empirically estimate media influence – endogeneity, unequal exposure, unobservable variables, semantic complexity. However, recent advancements in political game theory propose a model of Bayesian persuasion in order to analyse media campaign effects using strategic approach. Hence, it becomes possible for researchers to derive strategic goals for media outlets endorsing candidates of affiliated party or political movement. The objective of this paper is to determine what effects of media endorsement have taken hold in US electoral process during the last 50 years and whether Bayesian persuasion model could prove useful in estimating campaign influence on party vote share, participation, political disappointment, long-term memory and vote switching. The extension of this analysis to cross-OECD panel study is the subject for further research.