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This paper draws on data from Dutch, Japanese, and US focus group sessions. The data show that audience members in all three countries are suspicious of the economic images depicted in the mass media. This is particularly the case with respect to common economic indicators, such as employment rates and stock market developments. In all countries, participants indicated that economic news at times contrasts with observations they make in their own direct environment. Japanese and US partic ipants experienced the economic coverage as excessively negative, whereas Dutch partic ipants felt the coverage was overly optimistic. In general, audience members perceived a gap between their daily lives and the coverage, resulting in a disinterest in hard economic news. Nevertheless, the data suggest that participants used newspaper coverage and television news as important information sources to make sense of the domestic and international economic situation. Especially television news was perceived to render economic news more attractive and more easily comprehensible