Consumer Preferences regarding News Slant and Accuracy in News Program

消費者對新聞節目政治傾向與正確度之偏好

江淳芳(Chun-Fang Chiang) ； 施琇涵(Hsiu-Han Shih)

《經濟論文叢刊》 45卷4期 (2017/12) Pp. 515-545

https://doi.org/10.6277/TER.201712_45(4).0001

摘要

We use weekly audience ratings data from different regions in Taiwan to investigate the role of news slant and news accuracy in consumers' choices of TV news programs in Taiwan. We find that news programs leaning toward the Pan-Blue parties have more viewers from areas with more Pan-Blue supporters. Moreover, we find that consumers are more politically segregated in choosing news programs during political events than on ordinary days. The finding cannot be explained by reverse causality and suggests that consumers are inclined to watch news programs with a political ideology that approximates their own. Regarding consumer preferences for news accuracy, we examine changes in viewership caused by two well-known false news scandals involving reports that provided erroneous information. We find that the effects of these two incidents were either small or insignificant.

關鍵字

consumer preferences ； news slant ； news accuracy

並列摘要

本文使用台灣各區每周收視率之資料，檢視新聞節目之政治傾向和正確度對消費者選擇新聞節目的重要性。我們發現，泛藍之新聞節目在泛藍比例較高地區的收視率較高。此外，我們發現在特殊政治事件發生時，收視觀眾的政治偏好組成更為極端化。這個結果除了並非來自於反向的因果關係，更顯示出消費者傾向收看與自己政治意識形態相近之新聞節目。最後，本文使用兩個假新聞事件，探討消費者對新聞正確度的敏感度。我們發現假新聞事件對收視率的影響極小，甚或不顯著。

並列關鍵字

消費者偏好 ； 新聞政治傾向 ； 新聞正確度

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