How do media and social media influence political beliefs and actions? What are the implications of controlled media for the functioning of democracy? These are among the timely and critical questions explored in the research of UBS Foundation Professor David Yanagizawa-Drott. His research highlights the pivotal role of media independence in sustaining democratic institutions.

Together with Julia Cagé (Sciences Po), he is recognized with the 2025 Yrjö Jahnsson Award for groundbreaking work in political economy and the media. The UBS Center warmly congratulates both prize recipients on this outstanding achievement!

The Yrjö Jahnsson Award is the most prestigious prize for young economists in Europe, awarded every two years by the European Economic Association (EEA) to scholars under 45 for outstanding contributions to theoretical and applied economics. David is the second member of the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich to receive this honor, following Fabrizio Zilibotti’s award in 2009 – an impressive milestone that reflects the department’s sustained excellence.