Can the ultra-rich shape electoral results by controlling media outlets that openly propagate their political interests? How consumers discount slanted media coverage is a question gaining urgency as a growing number of billionaires mix ownership of major media outlets with business interests and political agendas.

We conduct a series of laboratory experiments to study how groups aggregate information in settings in which group members repeatedly observe both private information about the state and either others members' actions or their actions and signals. Group members share common interests in guessing the state.