Yellen has work to do

Image of the Fed, Bernanke and Yellen on global TV and business news

January 31, 2014. New York - Ben Bernanke is leaving his position at a time when the media image of the Federal Reserve is more positive than it has been since 2011, according to research from Media Tenor International. However, the Fed has yet to recover its image from the Greenspan years, and Yellen has her work cut out for her.

“The drastic monetary stimulus injected into the U.S. economy at the high point of the financial crisis significantly helped the image of the Fed,” notes Casey Chancellor, analyst at Media Tenor. “However, it dipped again in 2011, and Bernanke has only managed to recover its image to a more neutral position in the media.”

According to the analysis of 757 media reports in both global business print media and on global TV news, both mediums have been non-reactive to Bernanke’s departure.

“No positive or negative sentiment is really visible,” confirms Chancellor. “However, it is interesting to note that TV news was much more optimistic over Bernanke’s efforts in 2013 than business media.”

On the other hand, media has been highly positive and optimistic over the appointment of Janet Yellen to take over the helm of the Fed. Her reputation and personality have both been praised on global television.

“Yellen has her work cut out for her,” says Chancellor. “The Fed is in a vulnerable place as the media debates the effects of a pullback in U.S. stimulus and how it will affect the markets.”

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