The (BEHAVIORAL) Economics Of Media Accountability
The (BehavioralL) Economics Of Media Accountability

Summary/Abstract: This paper takes a closer look at three highly interrelated areas of media accountability: the “three Cs”. The Cs are defined as follows: 1. corrections policies, 2. complaints management, and 3. coverage of journalism and media by the media. Focusing on the US, the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, we will try to explain the extent to which “rational economic” behavior can be found in this specific field of self-inspection, and how “predictably irrational” (Ariely 2008) media owners, media managers and journalists make decisions, and how cultural norms and behavior patterns influence media accountability and the processing of ‘unethical’ or unprofessional behavior.

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