Central Bank Communication with Non-Experts: A Road to Nowhere?
63 Pages Posted: 5 Oct 2021
There are 2 versions of this paper
Central Bank Communication with Non-Experts: A Road to Nowhere?
Central Bank Communication with Non-Experts - a Road to Nowhere?
Date Written: October 1, 2021
Abstract
Central banks have intensified their communication with non-experts – an endeavour which some have argued is bound to fail. This paper studies English and German Twitter traffic about the ECB to understand whether its communication is received by non-experts and how it affects their views. It shows that Twitter traffic is responsive to ECB communication, also for non-experts. For several ECB communication events, Twitter constitutes primarily a channel to relay information: tweets become more factual and the views expressed more moderate and homogeneous. Other communication events, such as former President Draghi’s “Whatever it takes” statement, trigger persistent traffic and a divergence in views. Also, ECB-related tweets are more likely to get retweeted or liked if they express stronger or more subjective views. Thus, Twitter also serves as a platform for controversial discussions. The findings suggest that central banks manage to reach non-experts, i.e. their communication is not a road to nowhere.
Keywords: central bank communication, monetary policy, non-experts, social media
JEL Classification: E52, E58
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation