Advising Policymakers through the Media

In the information age, an exchange with the media is part of the duties the economics profession has to deliver to educate the public. A key issue is the education of policymakers through the media. It is the silver bullet of policy advice in comparison to commissioned research and face-to-face advice provided to the politician. It also pleases the vanity of the scientist: Few economists are willing to sacrifice the celebrity of public visibility to the effectiveness of face-to-face advice. The author advocates for a stronger role of researchers in the public debate and suggests ways to become more influential. He argues that in the long run agenda setting is a more promising strategy than reactive press activities.