Who won the election? Explaining news coverage of election results in multi‐party systems

When reporting on election results, the media declare parties as election ‘winners’ or ‘losers’, which has important consequences for voter perceptions and government formation. This article investigates news coverage of parties’ electoral performance in proportional representation systems, in which...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of political research 2022-11, Vol.61 (4), p.857-877
Main Authors: GATTERMANN, KATJANA, MEYER, THOMAS M., WURZER, KATHARINA
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cultural policy
Election results
Elections
Legislatures
Legitimacy
media bias
Media coverage
Multiparty system
multi‐party systems
News
News media
Political parties
Proportional representation
Radicalism
Voters
Winners
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Summary:When reporting on election results, the media declare parties as election ‘winners’ or ‘losers’, which has important consequences for voter perceptions and government formation. This article investigates news coverage of parties’ electoral performance in proportional representation systems, in which election results are often less clear‐cut compared to majoritarian systems. It tests the extent to which news coverage of parties’ electoral performance is based on objective measures or on party ideology. Its focus on the aftermath of the 2019 European Parliament election allows holding the electoral context constant across the 16 countries under study. Results from a Heckman selection model show that alongside a party's status as plurality winner and changes in electoral support, parties with radical socio‐cultural policy positions are both more likely to be covered and declared election winners in the news. These results have important implications for citizens’ attitudes and perceived party legitimacy in democratic societies.
ISSN:0304-4130
1475-6765
DOI:10.1111/1475-6765.12498