Applied Microeconomics
Applied Microeconomics
The Applied Microeconomics research group unites researchers working on a broad array of topics within such areas as labour economics, economics of education, health economics, family economics, urban economics, environmental economics, and the economics of science and innovation. The group operates in close collaboration with the CAGE Research Centre.
The group participates in the CAGE seminar on Applied Economics, which runs weekly on Tuesdays at 2:15pm. Students and faculty members of the group present their ongoing work in two brown bag seminars, held weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1pm. Students, in collaboration with faculty members, also organise a bi-weekly reading group in applied econometrics on Thursdays at 1pm. The group organises numerous events throughout the year, including the Research Away Day and several thematic workshops.
Our activities
Work in Progress seminars
Tuesdays and Wednesdays 1-2pm
Students and faculty members of the group present their work in progress in two brown bag seminars. See below for a detailed scheduled of speakers.
Applied Econometrics reading group
Thursdays (bi-weekly) 1-2pm
Organised by students in collaboration with faculty members. See the Events calendar below for further details
People
Academics
Academics associated with the Applied Microeconomics Group are:
Research Students
Events
PEPE (Political Economy & Public Economics) Seminar - Yanhui Wu (U o Hong Kong)
Title: Media Gravity: The Production and Political Effect of Watchdog Journalism in China
Abstract: This paper examines the provision and accountability effects of watchdog journalism in China. Based on the coverage of over 2000 highly visible events by 120 general-interest newspapers during 2001-2020, we document that Chinese local newspapers report more negatively on adverse events outside their jurisdictions, and this negative reporting is more intensive where the home market size is larger and where the political barriers in the event source cities are lower. This outside watchdog journalism significantly pressures local governments to reduce corruption, increase responsiveness to citizen complaints, and improve fiscal allocation towards public services. Our findings are consistent with a spatial model of media capture, where the divergence of economic benefit and political control drives investigative reporting and jurisdictional spillover improves local accountability. We derive and estimate a production-location media gravity equation such that investigative journalism is generated from strong economic markets and targets regions with weak political links.