The fear factor is a main thing: how radio influences anxiety and political attitudes

Rigterink, Anouk S. and Schomerus, Mareike (2017) The fear factor is a main thing: how radio influences anxiety and political attitudes. The Journal of Development Studies, 53 (8). pp. 1123-1146. ISSN 0022-0388

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Abstract

We investigate how being exposed to media influences levels of anxiety and political attitudes in conflict-affected areas. Exploiting exogenous variation in signal strength of a radio station in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State, we compare original qualitative and quantitative data from areas with differing radio coverage. Civilians living in areas with more exposure to radio are more afraid of attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). This anxiety means civilians rely more on a civilian militia, the arrow boys, and less on the state army. Hence media, through fear, can contribute to changing social and political structures.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/fjds20/current
Additional Information:	© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Divisions:	International Development
Subjects:	J Political Science > JA Political science (General) P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1990 Broadcasting
Date Deposited:	26 Oct 2016 10:30
Last Modified:	14 Sep 2024 07:20
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/68137

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