Journal of the European Economic Association· 2026Q1
The Political Economy of Propaganda: Evidence from US Newspapers,
- 18citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Democratic elites in the late 19th century US South orchestrated racist propaganda campaigns via newspapers to divide society and sway white voters, with evidence suggesting this strategy benefited them in subsequent elections.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Democratic elites in the late 19th century US South influenced newspapers to incite racial outrage.
- High-frequency historical newspaper data and difference-in-differences/triple-difference methods were used.
- Evidence suggests a deliberate racist propaganda campaign orchestrated by Democratic elites.
- The propaganda was linked to electoral gains for the Democratic Party in subsequent elections.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract This study examines whether racial outrage in the media can result from the incentives of elites who seek to divide society for political gain, focusing on the late 19th century Southern United States. At this time, the Democratic Party had strong political incentives to incite racial outrage, and local Democratic elites exercised considerable influence over newspapers, the only mass media at the time. Using high-frequency historical newspaper data and difference-in-differences and triple-difference estimation strategies, we find evidence consistent with Democratic elites orchestrating a racist propaganda campaign to sway white voters. Supporting analyses are consistent with Democrats benefiting from anti-Black propaganda in the subsequent elections.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of the European Economic Association, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Sociology and Political Science
Sociology and Political ScienceSocial Sciences