Multiple Newspapers and Electoral Competition: A County-Level Analysis

Abstract

Although recent research has explored the impact of newspaper competition on public awareness and public opinion diversity, the effect on electoral competition has not been examined. This study hypothesizes that the presence of multiple newspapers in a county increases the competitiveness of election results in that county. That relationship is established after controlling for socioeconomic diversity and for political factors that affect election outcomes. The effects in gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races and in re-election and open-seat contests are compared. The study also discusses the possibility that the effect of newspaper competition on electoral outcomes works through an impact on public discourse.