Welfare states, media ownership and attitudes towards redistribution

Abstract

A sizable literature has examined the relationship between welfare state regimes and attitudes towards redistribution, generally expecting that citizens in more generous welfare states are more supportive of redistribution. However, empirical findings are inherently mixed. I argue that the role of the media has been neglected in this research. By providing cues to individuals, the media plays a strong role in shaping individual-level attitudes. These cues can be expected to vary according to the characteristics of national media systems. I test these claims with multilevel regression analysis of 18 European countries. The results show that redistribution support is lower where media ownership is more concentrated. Accounting for media ownership concentration helps to explain variation in attitudes towards redistribution, besides established determinants related to welfare state regimes. I outline implications for future research relating to the characteristics and regulation of media systems, news coverage, and the politics of inequality and redistribution.