This book explores the relations between objective media-related and social attitudinal as
well as behavioral realities of private expert and corporate agents in the traditions of mass
communication journalism studies and behavioral economics. Results based on time series
analyses for German data show that the news reports in a volatile manner on the economy and may
influence its development through third-person effects. Bad economic news does not cause a
decrease in private purchase intentions. Bad news may lead to a change in corporate decisions
such as advertising expenditures because corporate decision makers may presume changes in
consumer behavior through news.
