New publication in Policy Studies Journal

Stefanie Rueß, Research Fellow at the Chair of European Politics, published a new article in Policy Studies Journal. The study examines how regional media coverage of immigration shapes welfare decisions in Germany. To investigate this relationship, the study combines state-level data on benefit reduction rates in Germany's Citizen's Benefit program with a novel dataset of regional newspaper coverage between 2010 and 2019. The findings reveal substantial variation in immigration-related media discourses across German states and over time. Importantly, these differences are associated with unequal outcomes for welfare recipients with a migration background: more favorable media topics of immigration are linked to lower benefit reduction rates, whereas more negative topics are associated with higher sanction risks. The study highlights how regional media environments can shape not only public attitudes but also patterns of administrative inequality, demonstrating that media debates may influence how public policies are implemented in practice.