The Immensely Inflated News Audience: Assessing Bias in Self-Reported News Exposure

Prior, Markus

doi:10.1093/poq/nfp002

Cited by 562Media Studies and CommunicationSurvey Methodology and NonresponseMedia Influence and Politics

The Immensely Inflated News Audience: Assessing Bias in Self-Reported News Exposure

Prior, Markus·2009·Public Opinion Quarterly

DOI 10.1093/poq/nfp002

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Abstract

Many studies of media effects use self-reported news expo- sure as their key independent variable without establishing its validity. Motivated by anecdotal evidence that people's reports of their own me- dia use can differ considerably from independent assessments, this study examines systematically the accuracy of survey-based self-reports of news exposure. I compare survey estimates to Nielsen estimates, which do not rely on self-reports. Results show severe overreporting of news exposure. Survey estimates of network news exposure follow trends in Nielsen ratings relatively well, but exaggerate exposure by a factor of 3 on average and as much as eightfold for some demographics. It follows that apparent media effects may arise not because of differences in ex- posure, but because of unknown differences in the accuracy of reporting exposure.

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Without access to behavioural measures of exposure, studies must rely on survey self-reports that are prone to measurement error.
“Without access to behavioural measures of exposure, studies must instead rely on survey self-reports that are prone to measurement error24,25.”
From Like-minded sources on Facebook are prevalent but not polarizing (2023) · cites this paper as [24]

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Authors: Prior, M.
Affiliations: Princeton University (US)
Corresponding author: Prior, Markus
ORCID: Prior, Markus
Venue: Public Opinion Quarterly
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 2009
Volume: 73
Issue: 1
Pages: 130-143
ISSN: 0033-362X (ISSN-L)
1537-5331
DOI: 10.1093/poq/nfp002
OpenAlex: W2109790075
Cited by: 561
References: 35
Citations by year: 2026: 20 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 62 · 2020: 52 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 15
FWCI: 48.63
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Public Opinion Quarterly (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Communication › Media Studies and Communication
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Survey Methodology and Nonresponse
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Media Influence and Politics
Keywords: measurement validity, overreporting, Nielsen ratings, network news, media influence, survey accuracy, self-assessment bias, television audience measurement

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The Immensely Inflated News Audience: Assessing Bias in Self-Reported News Exposure

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