Talking in a language that everyone can understand? Clarity of speeches by the ECB Executive Board

Creators: Bjerkander, Lena and Glas, Alexander
Title: Talking in a language that everyone can understand? Clarity of speeches by the ECB Executive Board
Item Type: Article or issue of a publication series
Journal or Series Title: Journal of International Money and Finance
Article: 103200
Additional Information: Open access
Date: November 2024
Divisions: Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Abstract (ENG): We use data on speeches held by members of the European Central Bank's (ECB) Executive Board to analyze whether the clarity of central bank communication has increased over time. Employing readability measures as proxy variables, we find that the clarity of information provision is trending upward since the inception of the ECB. The increase is gradual, rather than being induced by changes in the board composition or major macroeconomic events. We also show that clarity is higher for speeches aimed at general audiences and for speeches by female speakers. Moreover, we find that higher clarity is associated with more optimistic media sentiment about the ECB and a stronger relationship between speech and media sentiment.
Forthcoming: No
Language: English
Uncontrolled Keywords: Central bank communication ; Monetary policy transparency ; Clarity ; Readability
Link eMedia: Download
Citation:

Bjerkander, Lena and Glas, Alexander (2024) Talking in a language that everyone can understand? Clarity of speeches by the ECB Executive Board. Journal of International Money and Finance, 149, Art.: 103200. ISSN 1873-0639

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