Voters often rely on news reports when forming opinions about economic conditions. This study examines how US news coverage reflects rising inequality.
Using a comprehensive dataset, the analysis reveals that media attention disproportionately favors affluent households during economic downturns and upswings alike. The findings suggest limited reporting connections between overall economy performance and experiences of lower-income groups.
This class-biased pattern emerges from structural factors in how economics is covered rather than deliberate editorial choices. News outlets tend to focus on broad aggregates, overlooking nuanced distributional impacts.
Such skewed economic representation helps explain unusual electoral outcomes where voters' behavior appears misaligned with actual economic conditions affecting different income brackets.
