Public Choice· 2026Q1
Does policy advocacy generate good PR? Evidence from labor unions and minimum wages
- 1citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Minimum wage increases shift news coverage of labor unions towards positive public relations, rationalizing policy advocacy.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- A new dataset connects news coverage, labor unions, and minimum wage increases.
- Minimum wage events cause news about organized labor to focus on minimum wage articles and prominent interest groups.
- This shift in news coverage is associated with positive sentiment, or 'good PR'.
- The positive public relations generated can explain interest group engagement in policy advocacy.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract We develop a new dataset for analyzing linkages between news coverage, labor unions, and minimum wage increases. After validating our news coverage database, we demonstrate that events associated with minimum wage increases lead news coverage of organized labor to shift towards articles about minimum wages, and in particular to articles that reference high-profile interest groups. Through further analysis of the sentiment of articles about organized labor, we validate that, consistent with the minimum wage’s popularity with the public, this shift in news coverage is “good PR.” This public relations channel can thus rationalize why interest groups engage in policy advocacy.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Public Choice, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Public Administration
Public AdministrationSocial Sciences