More specifically, a time-consuming collection of data on newspaper markets, which is usually provided by marketing or public agencies, allows us to assess metropolitan media-systems in eight European metropolitan areas. We then proceed in the following two steps. First, we look at regional circulation figures and newspaper types to verify if the regional media system corresponds to Hallin & Mancini''s (2004) classification of national media-system types. We expect that metropolitan media systems reflect the national media systems and thus are not necessarily well suited for metropolitan regions. Second, we use Strömberg and Snyder''s (2010) congruence index to find out whether local newspapers are likely to cover political issues on the metropolitan level, e.g. if the political space and the media-system are congruent. In line with Strömberg and Snyder''s (2010) results, we assume that newspapers write more about metropolitan politics if their readership stems mainly from all over the metropolitan area but not from outside of the area. If the metropolitan area and the newspaper market are congruent, people should be better informed about how political decisions are made.
All in all, this paper contributes to the question as to whether the media can mitigate the information gap between metropolitan governments and citizens that has become more and more relevant in multi-level governance structures.
Literature
Hallin, Daniel C.; Mancini, Paolo (2004): Comparing media systems. Three models of media and politics. Cambridge ;, New York: Cambridge University Press.
Snyder, James M.; Strömberg, David (2010): Press Coverage and Political Accountability. In: J POLIT ECON 118 (2), S. 355–408.
