HEPS³ - Sabine Carey - The impact of media on attitudes in post-war societies: Insights from a natural experimentWe welcome Sabine Carey (Universität Mannheim)
25. Januar 2023
The Hamburg Empirical Political Science Seminar Series (HEPS³) features international speakers presenting cutting-edge research in empirical political science and political economy.
We welcome on January 25 2023, 17:00-18:30 CET in VMP9 S27 & via Zoom
Sabine Carey (Universität Mannheim) - Title: The impact of media on attitudes in post-war societies: Insights from a natural experiment
Abstract: To achieve sustainable peace in a post-war country, citizens need to develop minimum levels of trust in the state, and political participation. Studies suggest that media can shape such attitudes. We re-assess the link between media and perceptions in post-war societies and ask: Can media have a lasting impact on attitudes? We argue that exposure to a radio station that is known for its anti-government stance continues to shape people's attitudes towards basic building blocks of a democratic system, and therefore potentially continue to influence the stability and quality of post-war politics and peace, for years to come. We take advantage of variation in the reception of a radio station in Nepal's Western Terai region that was associated with opposition to government policies and was shut down after violent clashes. Drawing on a quasi-experimental research design and original data from a survey of about 2,000 respondents, we find empirical evidence for individuals being less optimistic about peace, police, and peaceful activism in areas with access to anti-government broadcasts three years after the closure of the radio station. Our study has implications for understanding the role of media for post-conflict stability and state-building.
Keywords: post-conflict, security, attitudes, security forces, media.
The HEPS³ seminars take place on wednesdays in the winter semester 2022/2023 in person in VMP9 and are live-streamed on Zoom.
Please find the preliminary program on the HEPS³ Website.
We invite everyone interested to attend and are looking forward to seeing you.