Media reputation and destination reputation: the case of Milan

In this paper we study the influence of the media on the reputation of a destination. Although it has long been recognized that the media influence the public’s opinion, research on their effect on the reputation of a destination is still limited. Over 2,000 questionnaires filled-out in three countries (UK, Germany, and France) enabled us to collect data on the respondents’ perception of the destination. A content analysis of the three most-read newspapers and the two most-read magazines in each country enabled us to gather data on the number and tone of the articles about the destination published in the year prior to the survey, as well as on the image of the city they offered. We found that media coverage and media image are positively associated with the reputation of the city, while media tone has no association with its reputation. The implication of these results for reputation research are outlined.