The public relies on the media to gauge government competence. This paper questions whether voters can truly distinguish between honest reporting and 'yes-man' coverage.

Finding:

Media outlets typically avoid criticizing governments due to reputational concerns.

Conditions for Truthful Reporting:*

* Low expected government competence;

* High probability of alternative information sources reaching voters.

Otherwise, Pandering Occurs:

Even reputable media may pander when these conditions aren't met. This effect is pronounced in lower-quality outlets.

Key Insight:

The 'yes-man' problem arises even without overt policy bias or capture.