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Abstract
This paper estimates the effects of media coverage of organic food production on food purchases.
Information from several data sources links national and local newspaper coverage to fluid milk
purchases. An analysis of weekly store-level scanner data in a differences-in-differences approach
results in a 5% increase in organic milk sales relative to conventional milk sales. Increases in
intensity of news coverage increase this relative difference in sales. Differentiating effects by
media context further suggests that product category specific coverage increases sales more than
general coverage. Critical coverage does not result in significant effects on organic milk sales.