Opioid Overdose And The Fourth Estate: An Empirical Examination Of Newspaper Closure

Abstract

In this work, we examine the public health consequences of newspaper closure on an endemic issue in the United States: opioid deaths. Because journalists act as trusted information disseminators, it is plausible that such reporting may prevent such deaths by either deterring drug use or providing information on treatment options. Exploiting the phased closure of major newspapers in the United States between 2001 and 2022 using a difference in differences approach, we find such closures yield a significant increase in per-capita overdose deaths. Economically, we observe a rise of 0.686 annual overdose deaths per 100,000 residents in treated locations, a 30.9% increase compared to counties without such a closure. Results further indicate these effects are intensified in areas with higher newspaper circulation, and in areas with demographic indicators correlated with more prevalent newspaper readership. Finally, we observe a displacement of information seeking regarding local treatment options to social media once a newspaper closes, suggesting that newspapers play a critical role in disseminating such information. These results bring to the surface the vital role that journalism and the institutional press play in issues of public health.