Flashcards: Media, Elections and Violence

What is the focus of the lecture on Media, Elections, and Violence?

Understanding how media influences political outcomes and political violence.

What are the two main types of media discussed in the lecture?

Traditional media (newspapers, radio, television) and social media (Twitter, Facebook, blogs).

Name one way media influences political elections.

Through information dissemination, whether biased or unbiased.

What is a potential effect of media penetration on elections?

Media can crowd out other sources of information.

What are the two main dimensions through which media can influence election outcomes?

Choice of candidate and voter turnout.

Which news outlet had the highest percentage of negative coverage of Donald Trump?

CNN with 93% negative coverage.

What percentage of news reports about Trump were positive in the Wall Street Journal?

30% positive.

What is the significance of signal strength in relation to media influence?

Signal strength can determine the extent to which a population is exposed to specific media.

Which study looked at the impact of TV on election outcomes via access differences?

Enikolopov and Petrova (2015).

What was the impact of Fox News roll-out in 1996?

It increased Republican vote share due to biased reporting.

What unique approach did the study by Durante et al. (AER 2019) use?

It exploited staggered introduction and differences in signal strength of Mediaset, Berlusconi’s TV network.

What was one of the main findings of the Durante et al. (AER 2019) study?

Exposure to Mediaset increased the vote share of Berlusconi’s party.

What is the relationship between early TV exposure and political attitudes?

Early exposure can lower cognitive abilities and make individuals more vulnerable to populist rhetoric.

What event was analyzed to study the influence of propaganda on violence in Rwanda?

The 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Which radio station was known for its incitement of violence during the Rwandan genocide?

Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM).

What is one mechanism by which RTLM promoted violence?

Direct persuasion and information spillovers.

How did Yanagizawa-Drott (QJE 2014) measure the impact of radio on violence?

By analyzing village-level data on violent crimes during the genocide.

What was a main conclusion of Yanagizawa-Drott's study regarding radio coverage?

Increased radio coverage led to higher instances of prosecuted violence.

What did Müller and Schwarz (JEEA 2020) investigate regarding social media?

The effect of Facebook posts from the AfD on antirefugee hate crimes in Germany.

What was a key finding from the Müller and Schwarz study about social media's impact?

Antirefugee posts on social media influenced the incidence of hate crimes.

What do social media platforms enable that influences political violence?

They reduce coordination costs, facilitating collective action.

What is the conclusion regarding media influence on elections and violence?

Both broadcasting and social media have the potential to influence political outcomes and the occurrence of political violence.

How did the Fridays for Future movement aim to influence political change?

By organizing youth-led protests to raise awareness on climate action.

What was one of the main research questions regarding the Fridays for Future movement?

Do youth-led protests lead to political change?

What was the political landscape in Germany with regard to major parties during the time of the protests?

It includes left-wing parties such as the Greens and right-wing parties like the AfD.

What significant environmental issue does the Fridays for Future movement address?

Climate change.

During which year did the Fridays for Future movement have its significant protests?

2019.

What was the outcome measure for the Fridays for Future movement's influence?

Change in vote share for the Green Party.