Deep impact: a longitudinal analysis of the presence of think tanks in the press during the crisis and the recovery period

Abstract

This study determines the influence of the main Spanish think tanks in the national and international media during the period from 2004 to 2018. We use quantitative analysis on the published contents (from Factiva V R) of the main Spanish think tanks between 1st January 2004 and 31st December 2018 in national and international media. The results suggest that the impact of think tanks has increased since the crisis period and has remained constant thereafter, thereby confirming the relevant role of think tanks in public opinion. Moreover, during the process of economic policy design, there has been a significant increase in the hegemony of a few think tanks' influence in media debates.