Danilo Yanich

Professor, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration University of Delaware

  • Newark DE

Prof. Yanich's research centers on the media and its intersection with citizenship, public policy and crime, as well as media ownership.

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University of Delaware

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Spotlight

2 min

Study finds widespread duplication of local television news

Viewers of "local" TV news in nearly 40% of markets nationwide are hearing the exact same thing found on a competitor’s channel, according to a new study co-authored by the University of Delaware's Danilo Yanich. This widespread word-for-word duplication could have major implications on local journalism and newscasts, which are a source of critical information for millions of Americans. Yanich and fellow UD researcher Benjamin E. Bagozzi analyzed three months of local TV news broadcasts from 861 stations nationwide — more than 400,000 programs in all. Using a high bar for what counts as duplication (at least half of the content being word-for-word identical, excluding sports, weather and ads), they found widespread story sharing. Other findings: In many cases, two stations in the same city aired nearly identical newscasts night after night. Duplication is driven by service agreements and the gobbling up of stations by groups such as Nexstar, Gray, News-Press and Gazette and Sinclair. Stations with service agreements had duplication rates twice as high as those that were simply co-owned. Smaller markets were more likely to have these overlaps. In some cases, two stations in the same city aired nearly identical newscasts night after night. The duplication usually happened within the same geographic market (86% of cases) rather than between different regions. On average, these station pairs had identical content 65% of the time. Local TV remains America’s most trusted news source. Over three-quarters of Americans say they trust it more than newspapers, radio or online news. “In any other context, this would be plagiarism,” said Yanich, noting that he and Bagozzi intentionally examined stations over 91 days to cover a body of content large enough to provide meaningful results. The study’s authors stress that while consolidation may make financial sense for station owners, it raises important questions about the future of local journalism. If more and more markets see their “local” stations airing the same news, communities may lose the independent voices that help keep citizens informed and hold local leaders accountable. To reach Yanich directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the "contact" button. Email MediaRelations@udel.edu to set up an interview with Bagozzi.

Danilo Yanich

1 min

Murdoch's shocking retirement: Expert predicts minimal change in Fox's stance or approach

Despite the fact that he was 92, Rupert Murdoch's retirement as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp. came as a shock. Many observers see the passing of the torch from right-wing Rupert to more right-wing son Lachlan as a potentially seismic shift in the media landscape. Danilo Yanich, professor of public policy and administration at the University of Delaware, can discuss the changing of the guard at Fox, which he believes won't alter the network's approach all that much. Yanich doesn't think anything will change from the media side of the equation – coverage won't be any more right wing than it was before. "Lachlan has been running the day-to-day activities for some time now." Also, Yanich said, whether Rupert is "retired" or not does not take him out of the picture. "He still owns the company." Yanich noted that there has been commentary regarding the implications his retirement has for the power arrangements within the company. "That is probably true, but I do not see any change in how Fox approaches its media activities." Yanich's research centers on the media and its intersection with citizenship, public policy and crime, as well as media ownership. He directs the Local Television News Media Project, which examines the role of the news media in democracy and public policy. Yanich was awarded presidential fellowships at two Salzberg Seminars (Salzburg, Austria), both focused on ethics and the news media. To set up an interview with Yanich, simply click on this profile below.

Danilo Yanich

Biography

Danilo Yanich, Ph.D. (University of Delaware, 1980) is a Professor in the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. He was the Director of the M.A. degree program in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from 2006 to 2023. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. In 2003 and again in 2004, Dr. Yanich was appointed a Presidential Fellowship attending the Salzburg Seminars entitled, respectively, "Professional Ethics of the News Media" and "Ethics in News Reporting and Editing," held in Salzburg, Austria. He is the author of numerous articles and book chapters. His research focuses on the relationship of media, citizenship and public policy, specifically political communication, media ownership and crime and justice. His book, entitled Buying Reality: Political Ads, Money and Local Television News, was published by Fordham University Press in April 2020. His research has been widely used and cited by media policy makers, journalists and advocates regarding media consolidation and content. His new research uses big data techniques to examine that relationship on a national scale. Dr. Yanich teaches graduate courses in research design and methodologies; urban society and public policy; media, citizenship, and public policy.

Industry Expertise

Public Policy
Media - Online
Media - Broadcast

Areas of Expertise

Media
Media Ownership
Media, Citizenship and Public Policy
Policy Analysis
Urban Society

Media Appearances

Unmasking the Local TV Station Monopolies

The American Prospect  online

2024-01-11

In interviews with the Prospect, University of Delaware professor Danilo Yanich explained that while service agreements are valid under current FCC regulations, the impact of the coordination DirecTV is challenging is evident throughout the industry.

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Plus de 9 G$ pour mobiliser un nombre record d’électeurs américains

CBC/Radio-Canada  

2022-11-04

Danilo Yanich, professeur en affaires urbaines et politique publique à l’Université du Delaware, explique ces dépenses par les majorités précaires observées au Congrès depuis les années 90.

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Buying Reality: Political Ads, Money and Local Television News

ANZASA Online  

2020-10-26

Even in the age of the Internet, political ads on local television are the most important way candidates in the United States convey their messages. That has been true for a half of a century. Political campaigns in the U.S. are based on money—a lot of it. The estimated cost of the 2020 election is $11 billion, up from $9.8 billion in 2016.

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Articles

Local television political advertising and the manufacturing of political reality

Society

2020

With so much media attention on the presidential campaign, how do voters learn about candidates and elections for other offices? On local TV news, political ads create the reality of local races—a reality that is not meant to inform voters but to persuade them. Voters are left to their own devices to fill in the space between what the ads say—the bought reality—and what political stories used to cover.

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Framing social determinants of health within the professional public health community: Research translation and implications for policy change

Journal of Applied Communication Research

2016

Despite what experts know about the importance of social determinants of health (SDOH), poor health is generally understood by the public as an individual problem ameliorated through lifestyle and/or healthcare. To remedy this knowledge gap and promote policy change, public health professionals are investing in media advocacy to raise public awareness about SDOH and promote collective responsibility for health improvement.

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Same ol’, Same ol’: Consolidation and Local Television News

The Communication Crisis in America, And How to Fix It

2016

The consolidation of local television stations in the USA has reached epic proportions and takes two forms: outright station purchases and the implementation of shared service agreements among stations within the same market. This research is directed at answering the crucial questions that the Federal Communications Commission and the US Department of Justice have raised about the impact of service agreements on the content of local news in eight markets where such agreements exist.

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Research Grants

Assessing the Delocalization of Local TV News Via Computational and Data-Intensive Methods

James L. Knight Foundation

Grants in 2021 and 2022.

Education

University of Delaware

PhD

Urban Affairs & Public Policy

1980

The Pennsylvania State University

MA

Psychosocial Processes

1975

Albright College

BA

International Affairs

1968

Affiliations

  • Urban Affairs Association
  • International Communications Association
  • American Association of University Professors
  • The American Academy for the Advancement of Slavic Studies

Languages

  • English
  • Serbian (conversational)

Event Appearances

Repackaging Reality: TV News Duplication in Local Places

2023 Local Journalism Researchers’ Workshop, Hussman School of Journalism & Media  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Presentation: Buying Reality in the United States

(2022) Zoom presentation to the 20th Annual International Conference on Communication and Mass Media  Athens Institute for Education and Research, Athens

Paper presentation: The Media & the City

(2022) Annual Conference of the Northeast Political Science Association  Boston, MA

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