The Impact of Media Framing in Complex Information Environments

To what extent do news frames influence public opinion? While a large body of experimental research suggests sizable effects, it is unclear how these findings translate to authentically complex information environments. I exploit a rare change in the immigration framing of the largest German tabloid, Bild, to estimate the precise impact of this shift on immigration attitudes using large-scale panel data. Despite a 42% increase in the emphasis on crime in Bild’s immigration coverage, I find a robust and precise null effect on immigration attitudes and several related variables. These findings highlight that framing effects materialize under specific scope conditions that need to be considered when generalizing from experimental results.