STICERD Economic Theory Seminars
News Media as Suppliers of Narratives (and Information)
Kfir Eliaz (Tel Aviv University), joint with Ran Spiegler
Thursday 17 October 2024 15:30 - 17:00
This event is both online and in person
SAL 3.05, 3rd Floor Conference Room, Sir Arthur Lewis Building, LSE, 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PH
Many of our seminars and public events this year will continue as in person or as hybrid (online and in person) events. Please check our website listings and Twitter feed @STICERD_LSE for updates.
Unless otherwise specified, in-person seminars are open to the public.
Those unable to join the seminars in-person are welcome to participate via zoom if the event is hybrid.
About this event
We present a model in which news media shape beliefs by providing information (signals about an exogenous state) and narratives (models of what determines outcomes). To amplify consumers' engagement, the media maximize their anticipatory utility. We characterize the optimal monopolistic media strategy under various classes of separable consumer preferences, and demonstrate the synergy between false narratives and biased information. Consumer heterogeneity gives rise to a novel menu-design problem due to an "equilibrium data externality" among consumers. The optimal menu features multiple narratives and creates polarized beliefs and choices. These effects also arise in a competitive media market model.
Economic Theory Seminars are held on Thursdays in term time at 15:30-17:00, both ONLINE and IN PERSON in SAL 3.05.
Seminar organisers: Dr Andrew Ellis and Dr Christopher Sandmann.
For further information please contact Sadia Ali: s.ali43@lse.ac.uk.
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This event will take place in SAL 3.05, 3rd Floor Conference Room, Sir Arthur Lewis Building, LSE, 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PH.
The building is labelled SAL on the map. Enter the building via Lincoln's Inn Fields.
