Can autocratic power influence the media in democracies? Evidence from China's expulsion of American journalists

Bibliographic Data

ID6342255
AuthorsRuilin Lai (0000-0001-5930-8550, corresponding author)
Year2025
Pages1-12
Publication date2025-02-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Science Research and Methods (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2049-8470 • E-ISSN: 2049-8489
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/psrm.2025.5
OpenAlexW4407924334
LanguageEN
References cited28

Can autocratic governments influence foreign media? This study finds that political pressures from autocrats can motivate the media in democracies to tone down their negativity. Exploiting China's sudden expulsion of American journalists in March 2020, I show that US news outlets targeted by the expulsion adopted a more positive tone toward China in their subsequent coverage, compared to outlets that were not targeted. Further analyses confirm that the observed pattern is not due to unexpelled outlets presenting more negative coverage of China, and that the expulsion has similar chilling effects on media outlets that could have been affected. The findings highlight the overt threats autocracies pose to media freedom, a fundamental pillar of democratic societies

Autocracy · China · Democracy · Economics · Physics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies

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Open DOIOpen Access