Does Exposure to Media Shape Perceptions of Corruption? Evidence from Post-Socialist Countries (thesis)

Abstract

This paper empirically assesses the effect of exposure to media on individuals' perceptions of corruption, taking into account the heterogeneous effects of the extent of state control of media. Perceptions of corruption serve as the traditional basis for the corruption indices that drive both policy decisions and academic research. However, perceptions of corruption differ from actual corruption in many ways; to elucidate the disconnect, this paper investigates media exposure as a driver of individuals' corruption perceptions. Data from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's Life in Transition Survey is employed to study this relationship in postsocialist nations. The empirical results reveal that increased media exposure is associated with decreased perceptions of corruption in post-socialist countries. While the relationship between media exposure and perceptions of corruption changes little across different sectors, it varies greatly based on different definitions of "news media" and when taking state control of media into account. This empirical study makes clear that news media as a whole, and particularly emerging modern media sources, have a greater influence than traditional media sources (e.g. newspapers) on individuals' perceptions of corruption.