- Speaker: Christopher Rauh
- Title: Movies
- Abstract: Why are certain movies more successful in some markets than others? Are the entertainment products we consume reflective of our core beliefs? To answer these questions, we analyze international movie data and local tales using machine learning to measure a plot’s similarity to traditional motifs. Globally, films mirroring local folklore get wider screenings and earn more. Across US markets, movies matching ancestral stories attract more interest. Finally, films endorsing risk-taking, vengeance-seeking, and traditional gender roles outperform across markets holding similar historical and contemporary norms. Choosing to watch modern adaptations of stories passed down from our ancestors on the big screen reinforces cultural identity.
Short Bio: Christopher Rauh is an ATRAE Distinguished Researcher at the Institute for Economic Analysis (IAE, CSIC) and Professor of Economics and Data Science at the University of Cambridge. He is also a Fellow of Trinity College Cambridge, an Affiliated Professor at the Barcelona School of Economics, an Associate Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), and a Research Affiliate at CEPR, HCEO, and IZA. His research combines survey design with the analysis of unstructured data using machine learning methods. He serves as Principal Investigator at both ConflictForecast.org and EconAI, and has led multiple projects in collaboration with the FCDO, the German Foreign Office, and the IMF. He is currently an Associate Editor at The Economic Journal.
- Speaker: Luis Menéndez
- Title: The Impact of Political Campaigns on Demand for Partisan News
- Abstract: Traditional opinion polling faces growing challenges such as declining response rates. Meanwhile, vast amounts of user-generated text—once seen as purely qualitative—offer untapped potential for understanding public opinion. This talk explores how large language models can transform free-form text into structured, survey-like insights, bridging the gap between qualitative and quantitative analysis. We’ll discuss the limitations of classical polling, the promise of AI-driven alternatives, and what this shift means for the future of survey research.
Short Bio: Luis Menéndez is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Barcelona School of Economics (IDEA Graduate Program). His main research interest is the study of social and traditional media. He applies machine learning and text processing techniques combined with econometric methods to understand topics such as online coordination for offline protest participation, linguistic echo-chambers, and the consumption of political information.
Speakers
Speakers: Christopher Rauh. ATRAE Distinguished Researcher at the Institute for Economic Analysis (IAE, CSIC) and Luis Menéndez. Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Barcelona School of Economics (IDEA Graduate Program)