When They Mismanage the Government, You Pay More

What's the relationship between journalism and borrowing costs? When a local paper shuts down, something surprising happens: the town starts paying higher interest on its debt. Justin Wolfers sits down with producer Augusta to answer viewer questions about why press freedom isn't just a civics-class ideal — it's an economic force that touches your mortgage rate, your government's bond yields, and the whole institutional plumbing that keeps prosperity running. Chapters: 0:00 The boss and the performance review 0:20 Trump escalates his battle with the press 1:08 Are voters really the boss? 5:52 How press freedom moves markets 6:51 Credit ratings and your borrowing costs 8:29 When local newspapers close 12:08 What natural experiments are 15:20 Radio towers, hills, and luck 19:31 The natural experiment revolution 21:38 Secret bonus question Subscribe: on YouTube 👉    / platypuseconomics   on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers